Part 4 – Cosmic Rising
Damien coughed as he pushed himself off the cold, hard floor, but as he reached down to dust off his uniform he realized something, the standard blue digital-camo had turned a nice Imperial Red, as he looked around, Matt, Steven, Jackie, and Lara had awoken, while Steven's had turned Forest Green, Jackie's turned Aureolin Yellow, and Lara's had turned Rose Pink, Matt's had just changed to Ultramarine Blue.
"Everyone ok?" Damien asked.
"Yea." Everyone said.
"What's going on," Steven asked as he walked up to Damien, "What's going on?"
"I don't know," Damien said before a muffled war horn from outside the entrance drew their attention.
As they looked toward the entrance, and walked toward it, the entrance opened up to reveal the outside of a planet that was lush and green, and off in the distance they could see forests, and rivers and lakes.
Below in the valley, three men, and two women walked up to the approaching army of Es'kas, two of the men were an unusual alien species, the one in the front was about six feet, eight inches tall, his skin was cracked and either red or brown in some areas.
The one next to the main's left was about five feet, ten inches tall, male, and clearly an Aquitian.
The man on the right of the main's was a six-foot tall Sirian with a green skin-tone.
The woman to the left of the main's was five feet, two inches tall, and was some kind of unknown species. She had a gray skin-tone, and had a large dorsal-fin running from the top of her head, all the way down her back.
The woman to the right of the main's was five feet, four inches tall, and was some kind of primitive human.
As the Es'kas approached, several x-shaped chest harnesses appeared, they put their hands over the same diamonds they found in the caves mounted to the center of their harnesses with their palms facing outwards, and shouted, "COSMIC POWER!"
They were then covered in glowing suits of armor all different colors, red, blue, green, yellow, and pink. It was obvious they were Power Rangers.
The chest and stomach armor which looked like diamond-like metal was separated into segments that covered the muscle structure of the pectorals, shoulders, abs, collar bones, back, biceps, forearms, and hands. The leg armor was made of similarly segmented armor that went covered the calves, thighs, shins, and top of the feet. While the body armor was pretty much the same, save for the girls who had extra room for the breasts, the visors on the helmets were unique to each warrior, only if the mouth guard was a solid piece of chrome-like metal that had a pentagon-shape bulging out of the metal. And the diamonds they found in the caves were mounted dead-center on their chest-plates.
The visor on the Red Ranger's helmet looked like the visor had a straight top with the sides coming out of a single semi-circle bulging out of the bottom center. The visor on the Blue Ranger's helmet was in the shape of an upside-down triangle with a small section on top of the triangle covered with the helmet's armor in the shape of another triangle that went one fourth of the way down the visor. The visor on the Green Ranger's helmet was straight on the top, and had two semi-circle bulges on the bottom. The visor on the Yellow Ranger's helmet was in the shape of a hexagon cut off from the top-half. The visor on the Pink Ranger was in the shape of a half-moon crescent with the points of the crescent point upwards.
The Rangers charged at the Es'Kas, and Damien swore he blinked once, and the Es'Kas were defeated, but only the Red Ranger was alive, and he was crawling onto the hill they were on where the astrolabe was, with the five diamonds in his hand. Reached out to the astrolabe, and spoke some words in his native language.
The diamonds leapt out of his hand in five balls of light, spun around the astrolabe, and flew off into space, toward that star. As he turned back, a dark, menacing figure approached him, "We could rule the Universe together," he said as he raised his staff which was made of coiled snakes, and held it against the Red Ranger's throat, "All you have to do, is give me the diamonds."
The Red Ranger spoke something that Damien could have sworn was his species' form of, "Go to hell," before he pulled out a large rod-like diamond, and stabbed it into the ground.
As the diamond entered the ground, the ground beneath them crumbled, and they were sucked into the ground, while the Red Ranger feel somewhere off-center of the crater, which was surrounded by rocks, the dark figure fell directly into the center, and began sinking.
The Red Ranger chuckled before collapsing, dead.
Damien and his friends followed the diamonds throughout the universe until they arrived at the planet they were on, the diamonds stopped just above the ground, and stayed there.
Right then and there, time itself started to move thousand-fold faster around them, they saw the planet's landscape change before their very eyes, before arriving back in the room with the diamonds, right before they found them.
As their past selves picked up the diamonds, their past selves flew backwards, and were knocked unconscious by the blasts.
Damien blinked again, and he could tell because of the absence of the sound of the storm outside it was the next morning.
He walked over to himself, and as he tried to touch his unconscious self, he heard footsteps, and saw Carter, Ryan and several soldiers from the United enter the room.
Carter instantly went to Damien, and knelt next to him, "Damien," he asked, when there was no reply, he shook Damien's shoulders, "Damien," he leaned in to listen to his breathing, then took his pulse, "He's unconscious!"
"So's Matt." Ryan said.
Soon the astrolabe started spinning, and glowing again, as Carter looked back at it, he looked at one of his men and exclaimed, "Don't touch it! It could be what knocked them out! It might be dangerous!"
Soon the astrolabe began to emit the same kind of energy that knocked them unconscious, "DEFEND THEM!" Damien shouted.
Damien stood in front of Carter as he went to shield Damien's sleeping-self, as Matt went to shield Ryan, and Steven, Jackie, and Lara went to shield the others, the energy that knocked them back, threw all five of them backwards, and they landed in the same position their unconscious bodies were in.
Damien opened his eyes, and felt Carter shielding him, he stood up, and as he reached for his Prehenderat, Damien raised his hand, "WAIT," he yelled as he grabbed Carter's hand as it touched the grip of his Prehenderat.
Carter looked back at Damien, "Damien," he exclaimed as he knelt down next to him, "Are you ok?"
"Yea," Damien said, "I think so," as he tried to stand up, the pain in his head brought him down, "Ouch."
Carter reached to the back of Damien's head, and as he removed his hand, the dried, crusted blood just fell into Carter's hand, "Looks like you took a bad knock." He said.
"We all did," Matt said as he sat upright against the side of the room, and saw that his uniform had changed back to it's standard blue, "We found what we were looking for."
"What," Ryan asked as he walked up to the astrolabe, "This thing?"
"Yes and no." Lara said.
"Yes?" Carter asked.
"The astrolabe is part of it." Lara said.
"And no?" Ryan asked.
"Well we found these…" Damien began as he looked down at the floor to see that his diamond wasn't there, "The diamonds!"
Matt, Steven, Jackie, and Lara started looking around for theirs as well.
"Diamonds," Carter asked, "What diamonds?"
"We walked in," Damien said as he looked around in the dirt, "And there were diamonds on those pedestals over there, we picked them up, and they glowed different colors, we picked them up, and a similar blast that you shielded my unconscious body from knocked us out. Now the diamonds are gone!"
"Look," Carter said as he put his hand on Damien's shoulder, "The astrolabe is here. The mission is complete. Your mother needs to hear from you. I told her you were missing."
Damien stopped to stand up, "You're right," he said, "You're right," he then motioned to their packs, "Come on, let's go."
Carter pointed to the astrolabe, "Secure that," he said, "Alliance Command will be happy to see that we're not returning empty-handed."
As Damien and his team picked up their weapons, two of the three soldiers that Carter and Ryan brought down to the planet with them pulled out a series of bars, folded them into a cube, connected them on all four sides of the astrolabe's base and as a forcefield surrounded the base and the astrolabe itself, they lifted it with no effort at all, and followed them out of the cave.
"By the way," Ryan said as he held the atmospheric probe out to Steven, "Found this outside, it's got your name on it, so…"
"Thanks," Steven said, "Really appreciate it."
"What is it?" Ryan asked.
"It's an atmospheric probe," Damien said, "We released it into the storm to get a few readings."
"Should be a wealth of information," Ryan said, "We're just glad to see you guys alive. When we didn't hear from after the storm cleared we feared the worst," he then pointed at the probe, "If it weren't for the fact that the sand had taken the paint off that thing, we probably would have never found you."
"What about the mountain formation," Damien asked, "That's where we were heading."
"We didn't know where you entered," Carter said, "When we found that probe, it was easy."
"Where are we going anyway?" Damien asked.
"We have a shuttle just over those hills." Carter said.
"Well, you won't reach it," Gaeko said as he appeared with about forty Es'kas.
"Gaeko," Carter said as everyone took a fighting stance, "Been a while, how's the foot?"
"Better," Gaeko said, "How's our mutual friend'sss ribcage?"
"Much better than your foot," Damien said, "So tell us, why are you here?"
"Is now really the time?" Ryan asked.
"I might asss well tell you anywaysss," Gaeko said, "That astrolabe rightfully belongsss to my emperor. My emperor was robbed of the power that was rightfully hisss, that belonged to hisss mother."
"Mother?" Carter asked.
"The defendersss of Earth two thousand, two hundred yearsss ago locked my Emperor underneath the Great Desssert," Gaeko said, "When he arossse, he vowed to take revenge for robbing him of what was rightfully hisss."
"He's not going to get it," Carter said as he pulled out his own P-Carbine, "Let's go," he turned to Damien, "Damien, get the astrolabe back to the shuttle! We'll hold them off, and follow you!"
"GET THEM!" Gaeko yelled.
"But Major!" Damien exclaimed.
"GO," Carter shouted as he opened fire, "THAT'S AN ORDER!"
Damien grunted, then ran with his team over to the astrolabe, Damien and Matt picked it up to carry it while Steven, Jackie, and Lara raised their P-Carbines to cover them, and ran for the shuttle.
"PICK YOUR TARGETS!" Carter ordered.
As the team crossed over the hill, they found the shuttle Carter mentioned, and as they approached, five Es'kas came up from behind them.
"Contact!" Steven exclaimed.
They raised their rifles to fire, but the Es'kas kicked their rifles aside, and tried to strike them.
As Damien and Matt put the astrolabe down inside the shuttle, they turned to see two Es'kas enter.
They both ran up, and kicked the Es'kas out of the door onto the sandy ground, "Just like on Earth." Matt said.
"No," Damien said, "Not like on Earth, because we're better now."
The first Es'ka attacked Damien who grabbed the Es'ka's arm, stunned him with an elbow to the side of the head, then struck the Es'ka twice in the gut, then once on the right jaw, and finished him with a left to the jaw.
The Es'ka that attacked Matt came in with a quick jab, Matt blocked the strike, spun the Es'ka around, and gave him a right-hook to the side of the jaw against the way he was spinning.
Meanwhile Steven dodged his Es'ka's wild haymaker, Steven spun around it, elbowing the Es'ka in the jaw, followed by an elbow to the gut, and finally a round-house kick to the face.
The one after Jackie had made a feeble attempt to grapple her, she quickly grabbed the Es'ka around the arm, flipped him over so that he was held in a standing arm-bar, and ended the fight by kneeing him in the face.
Lara's stumbled over a small rock which gave her a chance to step to the side of the jab, grab the Es'ka's arm, lock it in a chicken-wing hold, and then brought her fist sharply down on top of the Es'ka's forehead.
"Not bad," Damien said as the team walked up, and formed a small circle, "If I do say so myself."
"I'm inclined to agree." Lara said.
It was then that Carter, Ryan, and the others from the United came running over the nearest hill, their uniforms were scorched, and it was obvious that Gaeko had put up a tremendous fight.
"Major," Damien said as he ran up to Carter.
"Gaeko's pretty good," Carter said as he grabbed Damien's arm, "You have to get out of here."
"Get up," Damien said as he helped Carter to his feet.
"What are you doing?" Carter asked.
"I'm not leaving without you," Damien said as he helped Carter over to the shuttle, "Déjà vu eh?"
"Yea." Carter said.
As the team got Carter, Ryan, and the three members of the United onto the shuttle, Gaeko appeared right behind them with four Sergeant Es'Kas, "Déjà vu indeed," he said, "I'll make you a deal. Give me the assstrolabe, and I will ensssure you won't feel anything when we dessstroy you."
"How about no," Damien said, "You reptilian bastard."
"I warned you," Gaeko said as he crossed his arms over his mouth.
"Defend," Damien exclaimed, the five joined arms, and braced for impact.
As Gaeko's tongue sprung from his mouth, the team closed their eyes, and a sudden burst of energy covered them in a large forcefield.
When Gaeko's tongue impacted with the forcefield, it exploded, and sent Gaeko, and the five Es'ka Lieutenants flying backwards.
As the team opened their eyes, they realized that the harnesses they saw in the flash back.
"Whoa," Matt said, "It's the diamonds."
"You know what this means?" Damien asked.
"Let's morph." Steven said.
"SSSTOP THEM!" Gaeko shouted.
The team held their hands over the diamonds on the harnesses, and shouted, "COSMIC POWER!"
A flash of light caused the Es'ka to shield their eyes, when they opened their eyes, Damien, Matt, Steven, Jackie, and Lara were covered head to toe in flexible, shiny armor.
Carter and Ryan couldn't believe their eyes, but were happy, now they were going to be ok.
The team looked down at their armor, and then at each other, "Now this is just so, so awesome," Matt said, "You don't feel like you're wearing any armor at all."
"They have the power," Gaeko said, "Take the other four, Red isss mine!"
"Let's get him," Damien said, "FOR EARTH!"
"FOR EARTH!" They yelled as they charged.
Lara blocked with the Es'ka Sergeant's haymaker, punched him in junction between his forearm and bicep, punched him twice in the gut, then kicked his leg outwards, and struck him twice in the jaw.
Jackie swung at the Es'ka Sergeant who blocked the swing, and tried to back-hand her. Jackie blocked the attack, went underneath the Es'ka's arm to stand behind him, she then shoved him downwards, using the momentum to deliver a devastating knee, and as he tried to look up, Jackie's fist brought the Es'ka to the ground.
Steven went underneath his Es'ka's kick, as he came back up, he delivered two strikes against the Es'ka's jaw, swept the Es'ka off his feet, and then planted his palm firmly into the Es'ka's chest, sending him flying backwards.
The final Es'ka came in with a sweeping-kick, Matt jumped over the kick, and as he came down, he lifted the Es'ka to an unbalanced stance, struck him four times in the chest, and brought his fist as hard as he could to the Es'ka's face.
Meanwhile, Gaeko took a swing at Damien who blocked the shot, then countered with an elbow to the side of Gaeko's head. As Gaeko threw a blind kick which Damien jumped over, and used the jump to kick Gaeko backwards. Gaeko then crossed his hands over his mouth, and as his tongue sprung from his mouth, Damien grabbed it as it flew at him.
"Hey guys," Damien said, "Like my new yoyo?"
Damien yanked Gaeko's tongue, causing him to spring forward and rebound off Damien's fist, he did it one more, time, then again before flinging Gaeko up in the air, and bringing him crashing down into the desert sands.
As the team joined Damien, Gaeko crawled out of the sand, "You insssolent whelpsss," he said as he tried to stand up, "You can't posssibly control thossse powersss."
"I think we can," Damien said, "We did just wipe the floor with you."
"It will be the lassst," Gaeko said as he pushed himself up, "You won't make it back home. Earth belongsss to the Ssserpent Empire!"
Gaeko then disappeared, and as he did Damien said, "Earth will be ours again. Count on it."
"Major," one of the soldiers from the United said over the shuttle's comm system.
Carter crawled up to the comm system, and hit the activate button, "Go ahead!" He exclaimed.
"Sensors just picked up a ship coming around the other side of the planet," the soldier said, "We need you on the bridge."
"We're on our way," Carter said as he tried to crawl to the controls, but before he could fall, Damien caught him, helped him back into his seat, and strapped him in, "Sit tight, and take five."
As Matt, Steven, Jackie, and Lara helped Ryan and the rest of the United Crew onto the shuttle, Damien fired up the shuttle.
"Let's get going," Damien said, "Matt, take the comm, Steven, take the weapons, Jackie take the thrusters, Lara keep our wounded warriors safe, and hold on."
As Jackie jumped on the thruster's console, she jump-started the system, "Thrusters are in the green." She said.
"Weapon systems and shields are online." Steven said.
"Comm system's up and running." Matt said.
"Thrusters at maximum," Damien said as he punched several commands into his console, "Give us lift," as the shuttle slowly lifted off the sandy ground, Damien grabbed the control-sticks, "Hold on," his thumbs mashed the accelerator buttons as hard as they could, and the shuttle went rocketing into space.
In the back, as Lara was examining the wounds of Carter and the second away team.
"Seems like some bruising around the sternum," Lara said as he examined the wound to Carter's chest, "Nothing serious."
"I see that Dana's training has really paid off," Carter said, "I have one question though."
"How," Lara asked, "We don't know ourselves. All that we know is that we found the diamonds, we had some weird vision about the last battle between our predecessors and the Serpent Empire, and then we woke up."
"When you say diamonds, do you mean these," Carter asked as he tapped on the pink diamond on Lara's chest.
"Yes." Lara said.
"That wasn't what I was going to ask," Carter said, he was about to say something when a large bump rocked the entire ship.
"I think this can wait." Lara said.
"What was that?" Damien asked.
"Disruptor fire," Steven said, "Gaeko's back."
"Point-of-origin?" Damien asked.
Lara ran over to the sensor array, and hit a few commands, "One point off starboard, bearing two zero three zero six." She said.
"Source?" Damien asked.
"Some kind of ship," Steven said, "Unknown make," another bump rocked the ship again, "Shields are down to sixty percent."
"What kind of shields are they running?" Damien asked.
Lara entered that into her computer, "Unknown," she said, "They're firing high-energy plasma beams."
"We have to get back to the United." Damien said.
As Damien dodged the shots that the Jörmungandr fired at them as they piloted their way back to the United.
"Major, is that you?" The soldier in charge of the ship asked.
"This is Sergeant Winters," Damien said, "Major Grayson is injured, we need a medical team to meet us in the shuttle bay when we arrive."
"Everything alright Sergeant," the soldier asked, "You sound a little different."
"You'll see when we get back to the ship," Damien said, "Because something is different."
As the shuttle flew underneath the shuttle-bay, a small hatch opened underneath the ship which opened, and a hand grabbed which raised the ship into the shuttle-bay.
As the door opened, Damien ran over to heave Carter on his shoulders, as they departed, the crew was dumbstruck, there were Power Rangers leaving the shuttle with their COs.
Damien ran up to the Medical Team, and handed him off to the medics, before he could run off, Carter grabbed his arm, "Damien, take care of the ship while I'm out," He said, "You're Acting Captain now."
"Get him out of here," Damien said as he put his hand on the medic's shoulder, "I'm going up to the bridge."
As Damien and his team ran over to the lift, Damien tapped on the bridge button, and the lift flew up the shaft towards the bridge.
A large bump sent the team against the walls of the lift, which sent Lara against Damien's chest.
"You ok," Damien asked as he looked at Lara.
"Yea," Lara said, "Thanks."
"No problem," Damien said as they pulled apart, trying to avoid an awkward situation because he felt the team's eyes on them.
As they arrived on the bridge, everyone turned to look at them, "Who are you," Ensign Martin Westin said as he reached out to Damien who put his hands on both sides of his helmet, and pulled backwards, "Sergeant?"
"Yep," Damien said as he closed his helmet, "And Major Grayson gave me control until he's been cleared by medics. Are we going to argue, or are we going to fight these snakes?"
Ensign Westin walked back to his station as Damien walked up to the command console, "Alright," he said as he pulled up the weapon's status on the screen to his right, "Go to Combat Protocol: Alpha-One-Tango," he then opened the comm across the entire ship, "This is Acting-Captain Winters, all hand, report to battle stations!"
"Sir," Lara, who had taken the ship's communication officer's place said, "We're being hailed."
Damien tapped on the hail screen on the console to his right, and swiped it forward to have it appear on the viewing-screen. Gaeko appeared on the screen, "You don't know when to give up." He said.
"Something we both have in common," Damien said, "You don't take the hint that you're about to get your butt kicked."
"We'll sssee who'sss about to get their butt kicked," Gaeko said, "Now give me the assstrolabe, or I will dessstroy your ssship."
"Wait a second," Damien said as he started tapping his helmet, "My answer to that is up here somewhere, wait, wait, wait… oh yea. Go to hell."
"You don't know what you're up againssst," Gaeko said, "Sssurender or I'll…"
Damien tapped on the end button on his console, and looked around, "Transfer secondary power to shields," he said, "Load high-velocity shells and prepare to fire on my call."
As the United's cannons and torpedo bays came to life, the ship turned to face the Jörmungandr to see what it looked like. The ship was formed in the shape of two dodecahedrons joined by a long rectangular box. At the front, there was the head of a king cobra that protected the bridge, and spinning around the thrusters at the back of the ship was a small bundle of mechanical snakes.
"All battle stations report combat ready." Matt, who had taken the ship's tactical officer's place said.
"Steven," Damien said, "Forward shields at maximum. Jackie, all ahead full!"
Jackie, who had taken the United's helmsman's place pushed the accelerator lever forward.
"On my mark," Damien said as the Jörmungandr fired to beams at the United from the eyes of the Cobra.
The blast rocked the ship, "Shield's are down another twelve percent." Matt said.
"Hold off." Damien said as the Jörmungandr fired again.
"Sir," Matt said, "Shields are down to seventy six percent!"
"Return fire!" Damien exclaimed.
The United's cannons sent a barrage of high-velocity shells across the front of the Jörmungandr.
"Their ship is unshielded sir," Matt said, "We can use that to our advantage."
"Target their weapon ports, and fire." Damien said.
As the United unleashed a barrage of shots across the eyes of the Jörmungandr, Damien could see the engines, and power across the ship going crazy.
On the Jörmungandr…
"Sssir," the last Sergeant Es'ka on the ship exclaimed, "Life sssupport is failing, and the armor isss ssstarting to buckle!"
"Fire all weaponsss!" Gaeko exclaimed.
"Weaponsss are offline," the Sergeant Es'ka said, "If we don't retreat now we'll lossse the ssship!"
Gaeko hissed violently, and spoke, "Open a channel." He said.
Back on the United…
"We're being hailed again." Lara said.
As Damien opened the channel, Gaeko came up on the screen to a backdrop of destruction, "You will pay dearly for thisss Red Ranger," Gaeko said, "Mark my wordsss, I will be back, and when I do, I will dessstroy you."
"I'll be waiting." Damien said.
As the channel cut, the Jörmungandr flew away from the United, and leapt into a wormhole that suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
"That was intense," Ensign Westin said, "Good work Sergeant."
"Thanks," Damien said as he held his fist back to Westin who bumped it, "Order all battle stations to stand down, all secondary power back where it needs to be, and plot a course back home."
"Yes sir," the helmsman said as he walked up to his console which Jackie stepped out of.
The five gathered near the command console, said, "Power down," and their armor disappeared.
"Wow," Ensign Westin said as he walked up to Damien, "That was dope man."
"Yea, it was," Damien said, "That was amazing."
"Why don't I take it from here," Ensign Westin asked, "Why don't you go see the Major?"
"Sure," Damien said as he slapped the Ensign on the shoulder, "Sir."
Damien and the team walked down to the med-bay where Carter and the others were located.
Damien walked up to the Chief Medic, and asked "How's he doing?"
"Better," Chief Medic Alisa Salone said, "That overgrown lizard you fought down there really did a number on them. Luckily I was trained well."
"How long before our CO's on his feet?" Damien asked.
"Should be ok for duty by tomorrow." Alisa said.
"Is he well enough to talk?" Damien asked.
"Yes," Carter said as he looked at Damien, "How are you Red?"
"Perfectly fine sir," Damien said as he sat next to Carter, "And you?"
"Sore," Carter said, "Dana is going to kill me."
"I don't know," Damien said, "I think her anger will be eclipsed by the joy of returning to Mirinoi with the Astrolabe."
"What is that thing anyway?" Carter asked.
"I don't know," Damien said, "Not yet, but I will."
"You mean we will," Carter said as he held out his hand, "You were trained by your hero to be a soldier. Why not be trained by your hero to be a Power Ranger?"
"You're going to train us how to be true Rangers?" Damien asked.
"What do you say?" Carter asked.
Damien grabbed Carter's hand, "Why not be trained by a Veteran?" He asked.
Take a guess at what's going to happen…