"Discoveries"

The room was filled with incense smoke from the candles, sticks and pots that were placed around the room. During his time in China Kaku had developed an affinity for its culture, its peoples way of life, even their beliefs. He almost was Chinese and now he had decorated his secure living area as such. But he never forgot, no one who entered ever forgot, that it was a prison.

Jason sat across from Master Kaku, his eyes closed and his hands jointed at the tips as he centred himself with meditation.

"You are going then?" He asked.

"In a few hours" Jason replied, sitting across the table from him "thank you for telling me where it is."
"You are the Tyranno Warrior, it is your inherent right to find and enter the temple" Master Kaku opened his eyes "but no other can learn its secrets."
"They already know enough" Jason sighed.

"Indeed, and I understand why you let them do so. But make no mistake. The power of the remaining coins can not fall into the hands of those who work for such men as these" Kaku told him.

"I don't have much choice Kaku" Jason replied.

"There is always a choice. No matter how honourable these men and women are, they take orders from those who will corrupt the power for their own needs. In the hands of military men these weapons of defence will be used for offence. They will strike without guidance from myself or Zordon and they will not wait for an order from you. The Ninjetti power comes with the two most advanced Zords we created. That can not happen Jason" Kaku warned sternly.

Jason stood from the table and turned to leave.

"I will do what I can" Jason said.

"For all our sakes I hope its enough" Kaku replied.

***

The Command Centre was abuzz with activity. Men and women in military slacks roamed in and out of it, using the technology and database and aiding the droids in the their repairs and preparations. The Power Rangers now seemed like a full military operation and something felt very wrong with that.

Alpha was the only one who knew where Zordon and this "Site B" was and he had refused to tell anyone, even Jason. He had also refused to download Zordon back into the main core stating that the military could choose to wipe him for good if they suddenly became less friendly. Jason understood his reasons, as did the others, but Alpha had stopped revealing anything or even talking to any of them since he had been reactivated. It was obvious he didn't approve of the deal Jason had made either .

Joey watched as Rocky weaved his way past two soldiers and up to he and Adam who were standing on the platform in front of the double doors that opened to the main chamber.

"Lots of people here" Adam sighed.

"If we had done what I said and busted them out we could be away with everyone right now to wherever this 'Site B' is" Joey said.

"Yeah and we would have the whole US army looking for us, ready to blow us sky high" Rocky replied.

"You don't honestly think he's going to give them the coins do you?" Joey asked.

"I dunno. I hope not" Rocky stated.

They all looked at each other with a look that said 'I hope he knows what he's doing.' They looked back out toward the main platform where various suits and military personnel were accessing the computer. The doors on the far forward side opened, the way to the outer exit, and Jason walked in. He watched up the first walkway, nodding at the military as he passed and began making his way up to where they were. Billy and Kimberly walked behind him, Billy breaking from them as they reached the computers, deciding to help them.

"Speak of devil" Joey muttered and cleared his throat.

"Rocky" Jason called "can I talk to you for a second?"

"Yeah" Rocky nodded Jason's way and looked at the others before heading down the catwalk.

As he reached Jason and they walked off in the direction of where he had just came, Kimberly continued walking and came up to them.

"Well" Adam blurted out "I'm sure Aisha is around here somewhere. I'll see you later."
Joey rolled his eyes as Adam walked back through the double sliding doors. He shifted uncomfortably as Kim stopped next to him and looked out at the view herself.

"So..." Joey started "everything alright now your out and about?"
She turned her head toward him, he noticed this wasn't fun for her either "Yeah, yeah. It was only a day though."
"Still. Can't have been nice" Joey spoke awkwardly.

"No, it wasn't" Kim said and looked down at her shoes "look Joey..."
"It's forgotten, alright?" He turned to her "no harm done. I can tell you and Jason have...well something."

"Me and Jason? Oh no no" She quickly cut him off before asking "you think?"
"I can tell hun" Joey replied.
"Well. I am so angry at him right now that won't be happening any time soon" she told him.
"Oh...right" Joey raised his eyebrows in understanding.

"What about you? You like Katherine don't you?" She asked.

"Yeah. But she ain't the least bit interested" Joey chuckled.

"Thats not what she tells me" Kim said.

"What?" Joey shot a look at her "Really?"

Kimberly smiled back at him "talk to her. Trust me."
With that she turned and left through the main doors, leaving Joey wondering what the hell she meant.

***

Jason and Rocky now walked and stopped as they reached the cliff edge outside the Command Centre walls. In the background military vehicles pulled up and soldiers came and went from the building.

"So your going to the temple?" Rocky said.

"Thats right. Your in charge here. From what Master Kaku said there are some sort of activation devices for the other Zords in a temple in China. You should go get them. Earth will need you while we are gone" Jason told him.

"I'll send the others but I should stay here" Rocky replied and looked out on the horizon where the sun was setting "just encase."
"Yeah. Probably best" Jason nodded.

"Are you sure your doing the right thing? With the deal and all?" Rocky asked and looked back at him.

"Master Kaku and Alpha don't think so" Jason spoke frankly.

"Then maybe you should listen to them."
"Maybe" Jason sighed before straightening "have the others go get their Zords. We will need them...whoever we end up fighting."

Jason walked back toward the Command Centre, having given Rocky his orders. Rocky wondered at this point weather they were the last he would take. If Jason continued down this path he knew he would have no choice but to take command.

***

The Thunder Rangers watched as the carrier plane and its fighter jet escorts took to the air and faded into the horizon beyond. They turned back and walked toward the Command Centre, now alone but for a few remaining personnel. The sky was a deep blue as the cool summer night began to overtake the golden rays of daylight.

"You leave in the morning" Rocky told them.

"Finally" Adam said "our own Zords."

"You think they will hand the coins over?" Asked Aisha as she, Rocky and Adam entered the base.

"If Jason's the leader he's meant to be then no" Rocky replied.

As the others entered Joey turned to Katherine.

"Hey" he smiled her way.

***

The carrier aircraft rocked as they headed toward the remote island where they were told the Temple Of The Three Tribes was located. The Rangers now all sat in the long drop area with the rest of soldiers, they were clad in military attire and helmets for 'their own safety.'

"So" one of the soldier jocks called over to Zack "I hear you turn into dinosaurs."
"Kinda" Zack replied with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

The soldier chuckled "Cool."

"And your the smart guy who helped us use those alien computers" a female soldier smiled affectionately at Billy.

"It was no trouble" Billy replied, a little hot under the collar. He turned to Trini next to him who gave him a fierce glance.

"And your hot" the one next to Kimberly turned to her.

"Urgh" Kim turned away in disgust.

***

Rocky and Alpha looked up from the transporter control console at the others as they stood, ready to be transported to China.

"Remember, get the devices and get out. Your needed here" he told them.

They all nodded and said they understood. Alpha pressed the commands like he had done many times before. They felt the tingle, Adam hated this part. In a moment their vision was overtaken by a shower of colourful light and when it faded they in some sort of old tomb. He looked around, making sure they were all there and then stared at the dusty stone walls and the markings upon them. The depictions were that of great battles that had taken place thousands of years ago. Katherine walked up to one, brushed her hand against it to moved away the dust and tried to read it. It showed a lion, a Pegasus horse, a griffin, a phoenix and a dragon as is did battle with strange creatures in even stranger armour.
"I always wondered" Joey turned to Adam "how the hell is a lion mythical?"

"They were to some cultures" said Adam "even God like."

"Hm" Joey shrugged.

They made their way through a series of corridors, many similar carvings and pictures on the walls around them, pillars holding up the old structure. They knew they were on ground level by the the slots in the walls that let through outside light.

They finally reached a dead end, the wall before them with much larger pictures and four slots in the wall.

"Looks like the perfect size for our coins" Aisha turned to the others.

"Can't hurt to try" Joey replied.

***

The ride had been turbulent as they descended on the remote island. The soldiers had fanned out perfectly on command, moving with an orderly fashion toward where their superiors waited. Zack and Jason stepped onto the drop ramp, their eyes meeting the bright sun. In the distance they saw the tip of a large stone structure.

"That where we are headed?" Zack asked.

"I hope so. I wouldn't put it past Kaku to give me the wrong place so I couldn't give them the coins" Jason said.

"I hope not" Zack grumbled "that was a dam long flight over. Wish we could just have transported."
Jason nodded slightly and stepped down the ramp to the beach bellow where teams where getting ready to head into the woods.

"You know Jason I was thinking" Billy walked over to them "we could give them the coins. But they would be useless without the morphers."
"Keep it down Billy!" Jason snapped quietly "you think I'm not counting on that? It will give me more time to decide if its the right thing to do."
"What if they analyse it? They could make their own now they have seen our databanks" Zack said.

"Yeah" Jason looked around at the hundreds of men and women escorting them.

"If thats the case. What do we do if we decide its not the right thing?" Billy asked.

"We destroy the coins" Jason said bluntly.

"Billy!" Trini called, standing over the beach with Kim.

"Coming!" Billy called back, he gave them a look of concern before walking away.

"Our new friends might not like that to much" said Zack.

"Which is why we are here" Jason turned to him.

"Alright! Get ready to move into the jungle!" A commanding officer called.

"Lets see what happens" Jason told Zack and began to walk toward the large woodland stretch.

***

Rocky and Alpha worked on the main command consoles of the Command Centre as in the background the assigned military technicians worked quietly. Rocky lent over pressing a button just next to where Alpha was working. He excused himself as he did before looking back up at the robot.

"Alpha...do you think Jason is doing the right thing? I mean what Zordon would have wanted?" Rocky asked.

"I do not" the mechanoid replied.

Rocky stopped working and leaned down on console, his full attention on Alpha now.

"We can't give the military the coins" he said in a hushed voice.

"I trust Jason will not let that happen" Alpha replied, still working.

"You trust? Or you hope?"
Alpha looked up at him "I do not see your point Rocky."
"I am just saying that perhaps, for Zordon, Jason may not be the right guy to lead us" Rocky suggested.

Alpha was about to respond when suddenly the alarms sounded. The military in the background shot upright and ran over.

"What the hells going on?" Asked one as he ran up.

"I am picking up a Zedorian battalion and battle suit mark two attacking the city of Toronto, in Canada" Alpha announced.

"But we wiped out all the Zedorian's who landed a ship in Canada right before we met you" Rocky said in confusion.

"Obviously it was only a small group of a much larger crew" Alpha replied.

"Contact the others and get them there as soon as they can" Rocky instructed.

"Where are going?" The technician asked.

"To do my job" Rocky replied sternly.

Rocky grabbed his morpher and raised it to the height of his chest.

"Red Dragon!" He cried.

Within moments Rocky was the Red Thunder Ranger. The military personnel stood back and gasped at the sight of the transformation.

"I'll transport" he told Alpha and made his way toward the transporter room.

As he did he passed many shocked faces, they had heard of their powers but never seen. This was something else.

***

Katherine was the final one who placed her coin next to others in a row of perfect fitting slots.

"Like a glove" Joey smiled as she stepped back.

The ground below them began to rumble, the coins each glowing their colour as the wall began to slide back.

"I wonder why he hid these remotes and kept the one for Red Dragon" Adam pondered.

"Just encase?" Aisha shrugged.

When the wall stopped clouds of dust drifted into the air, in the haze behind it they could see a stone slab. They looked at each other and entered it as one, walking into the otherwise plain and empty room and up to slab. Upon it where the four devices, each designed to be strapped to their arm as Rocky's was. As they retrieved them there communicators beeped. The sound however was faint and broken as they answered.

"Rock....attack.....Toronto. Meet.....there" Alpha's voice faintly crackled.

"Must be the interference" Adam suggested.

"Well I heard Toronto, attack and Rocky. Looks like we're needed" Joey told the group.

***

Rocky had engaged the targets on the ground full on, using his staff weapon and every announce of strength and agility his suit could give him to defeat the ground troops. The final golden clad alien fell as Rocky swung his staff behind him in a confident fighting stance.

He straightened and looked out, the battle suit was coming his way. He had had trouble with the first battle suit he had faced but this crew had a mark two. For a new guy that was a whole different level. He however knew that he was the only one between the alien piloting it and the city beyond. He raised his arm,pressed the remote and called out "Red Dragon come to me!"

In the skies above he heard a rumble, in minutes the incredible machine came through the clouds. As the Zord swooped down it dodged the battle suits fire, coming toward him. Rocky took off, landing on the head of the Zord and entering the cockpit once again. He moved forward and touched the orb before him, it responded with a hum of energy and the creature came to life under his command.

"Computer. Switch to Warrior Mode!" He instructed.

The Dragon took to the air, out of weapons range so that it could transform in a matter a seconds to its humanoid form. The Red Dragon Warrior Mode dropped back down on the open outskirts of Toronto, lifting its foot as Rocky did and stepped over the freeway below. Rocky couldn't help but smile as he heard faint cries of shock and wonder from below.

"Holy shit!" Exclaimed one young man in his car below, he watched as the giant robot passed over him with giant steps and got on his mobile telephone "John! John! You are not gonna believe what I am seeing!"

Rocky brought his hand up and called for the giant staff. It appeared at once in the hands of the Zord and he brought it forward, engaging the target. He swung for it with the staff getting in a good shot, swinging round and getting another and watching as the pieces of metal came lose and fell. The Zedorian in the battle suit responded and brought its arm up, taking advance of an off stance Zord and smashed its arm into the Zord's face before Rocky had time to react. At least he didn't feel its pain too. The battle suit then brought its arm up an fired repeated discharges of energy from its arm mounted cannon. The Red Dragon Zord took several good hits and fell backwards, damaged from the assault.
At that moment energy and light streaked across the sky and hit the battle suit head on. Rocky turned the Zord over and stood it up, looking out. He smiled to himself as he saw four new Zords heading their way. Two were similar in design, the yellow Griffin Zord and Blue Pegasus Zord were similar versions in both shape and design to the other. Both rectangular with a front ramp and head and neck above. Above in the skies was a giant bird, its joints such so it could glide through the sky with ease, flapping its wings. The Phoenix Zord. By the two previous was a giant hunk of a Zord, it moved its legs below back and forth and roared with might. The green Lion Zord.

"Need some help?" Adam asked over the com.

"Bout damn time!" Rocky replied and closed the channel "computer; activate main transformation sequence."

Rocky brought his staff round one more time, knocking back the oncoming attacker before taking to the air.

The Griffin and Pegasus Zords arched up forming boots. The Red Dragon's own legs came down into them and latched on. The Lion split in three main pieces, it legs extending and becoming the arm coverings while the the main body turned vertical and became the torso. Finally the Phoenix rapped around the waist and the remaining parts of the lion became the helmet. The Thunder Megazord stood impressively over the tall buildings of Toronto.

As Rocky called for it a giant sabre sword appeared in a holster on the waist of the giant. They had by now all had assigned consoles and duties keeping the Megazord running as Rocky brought his hand around, the Megazord doing the same, and withdrew the sabre. The Thunder Megazord looked like a giant samurai, its golden lined features certainly made it look like the next step up from the original.

The battle suit fired at them as it came in. Rocky confidently brought the sword up with ease and took a giant swing, hitting perfectly on target. The battle suit crackled and sparked before finally exploding in a dazzling display of light and falling in burnt out chunks at the Megazord's feet. As Rocky put the sword back in its holster he heard something, faint but he heard it.

"Do you hear that?" Adam asked.
"Yeah..." Joey responded.

They brought the Zord around to look at the direction of the sound. Below the all the cars on the road had stopped, many hundreds now gathered and had watched the whole thing. They were cheering, as one, loudly. A strange array of emotions washed over them as they saw the sight. They were jubilant, grateful of what they had done. In a moment it all seemed worth it.

***

They were out of breath from the long hike by time they reached the temple. It was a strange design, at the entrance was a triangular arch. Above it were three round pictures, in each a collection of beasts. On a closer look they noticed that they each represented the three sets of coins. One were extinct beasts, one were creatures of myth and legend and the other of modern animals. Strange symbols were carved into the frames of the triangular arch.

"So?" Asked Lieutenant James Moore as he walked up behind the Rangers "how do we open it?"
Billy walked up to the stone entrance and saw slots for five power coins. He walked back over to where the others were waiting.

"Looks like any five power coins should do it" Billy told them "I wonder why its five and not six."
"From what Kaku said" Jason replied, taking his coin from his morpher "the sixth rangers have always been loners for the most part. Set apart from the main teams."
"Lets get it open then shall we" Moore said in a impatient tone.

They all looked at each other, Jason sighed with a nod and stepped forward, they followed. They each lifted their coins up and placed them in the avaliable slots.

"A strange combination of alien technology and human craft" Billy said in wonder.

The coins glowed for a moment before they were automatically pushed out and the entrance slid up. Inside lighting fixtures that had not been used in centuries activated in unison, lighting their path. They walked slowly into the long corridor in wonder, followed by Moore who told the others to wait outside. He stepped in wide eyed behind the Rangers. On the walls beside them they saw depictions of all of the beasts the coins were based on. This was indeed a shrine to the battles of yester year and the men and women who fought them against the Gorma Empire. As they reached the end of the corridor it opened out into a massive area filled with artifacts.

"Whoah" Billy exclaimed as they fanned out.

Zack reached out as before him was, displayed like the proud armour it was, an older version of his own armour. It seemed worn from battle and its features were more like that of a knights.

"They must have some how put the suits into the coins, but how did they get the old versions out?" Zack asked as he touched it. At its feet he saw a basic version of his axe.

"Maybe its just a replica" Billy suggested "one Barza had made before he changed the designs. Make sure to ask Kaku about it."
"I will" Zack nodded.

Kimberly herself was now musing over the design specs on the wall, the design specs for the Pteryadactyl Zord. Trini was behind her looking at a painting of the previous Yellow Ranger, Boi, in action.

"Its a museum. A museum of our power, of the old war" Jason said as he looked in wonder at all the things surrounding him.

"Yes," Moore cleared his throat "but we didn't come for artifacts."
"No" Jason turned to him "you didn't."

He walked over to far side of the room and slid back the manual sliding door, opening into a room beyond. In was a table at the centre. Jason walked in and up to table looking down at a silk lined box that was open...and empty.

"They aren't here" Jason called back, almost with relief.

"What?" Moore exclaimed.

Jason turned around and walked back into the main room "the coins. They're gone."

"That alien bastard" Moore cursed "he lied to us!"

"No. This is the place, it even has the box for the coins" Jason said "they just aren't here."

***

The Rangers made their way with silent relief out of temple to tell the others. Moore hung his head low, what was he going to tell his superiors. As they made their out they stopped in shock seeing each of their men at knife point, their guns dropped to the ground. The ones with the knifes seemed privative and yet modern, Jason couldn't quiet put his finger on it. Before he knew what was happening he felt a pain as he was pushed to the floor. He fell, not quite knowing what was going on and looked up a blade of sword, now pointed at his neck, at a slender armoured...Ranger! The armour was just like their own but the design looked like something of a primate. An Ape.

"Who are you?" A muffled voice asked him, barely audible, but he would tell it was English.

"What?" He asked in confusion.

The Ranger lifted their other hand up and un-clipped their helmet, detaching it from the neck area and removing it. Black hair fell to her shoulders as beneath the helmet a beautiful exotic women was revealed.

"I said" she repeated impatiently "who are you? And what the hell are you doing in our temple?"

END

Next: Zordon's Rangers meet the Ninjetti Rangers and Jason has to make a tough choice concerning their powers. Meanwhile the Thunder Rangers are aided by an mysterious Ranger in white.