"War Part 4."

Staring Team: ALL

Jason lowered his weapon and turned back toward the others. Billy was hunched over, holding his ribs with one hand while his other arm was draped over Trini as she kept him vertical. The other's armor was scorched but the damage was only superficial, the injuries minor. They continued forward, Jason taking point and aiming his blaster ahead until finally they reached an open doorway. Jason backed against the wall, ordering the others to do the same, taking a moment before reaching around and placing his weapon in the room, followed by himself. Nothing. He turned and nodded to the other team and walked further into the room, closing the door behind them with a thankfully simple panel as the last of the team entered.

Trini immediately took Billy over to the far side of the room and lowered him down into a seated position against the far wall. The other rangers disbanded around the room, letting out breaths, each removing their helmets and taking a needed moment to recuperate.

"Billy, thank God for ya reflexes" Zack commented as he took off his helmet and let out a deep breath, leaning with one arm over a console.

"I just predicted we couldn't survive another hit…" he groaned in pain for a moment as Trini removed his helmet forcing him to shift a little, he fell back against the wall with sharp breaths as he continued "didn't save the Tyrannosaurus though."

"We're alive" Jason cut him off "that's more than enough. You did good Billy."

Zack pushed himself off the console and walked over to where Billy was sat "yeah but if you got us out in time…how did that happen?" He gestured.

"A power conduit exploded next to me just as I programmed the transport. Seems to have caught me right above the right appendix the worst, armor is pierced and hemorrhaging. If I'm not mistaken" he let out a reply as he moved his hand over the wound.

"You're not mistaken" Trini replied in concern as she moved in to inspect, kneeling next to him.

"Can he go on?" Jason asked.

"I'll be fine…"Billy started.

"No, he can't!" Trini cut him off "he's bleeding, badly. He needs a Doctor."

"Maybe we can go ask around" Zack responded sarcastically.

"Zack, shut up" Jason spoke in response and paced forward trying to think "with our Zords destroyed our only hope is getting to the control centre of taking this ship over or destroying it."

"And how do we do that Jason?" Trini looked up at him, her white armored gloves red with blood "There has to be hundreds if not thousand between us and it and we are one down."

Suddenly as if in answer a shimmering glow of colour appeared around them and before they could react they were gone.

"I will personally rip you in two Katherine!" Rocky yelled in a furious rage.

At his feet was the body of the Blue Thunder Ranger, Joseph Peterson. Ahead of him and the remaining loyal two members of his team, stood behind their nemesis, was Katherine Hillard who had just murdered him.

"I say again" Zedd rumbled "step forward, removed your coins and bow down to me as your master."

None of the three moved, holding their ground. Rocky moved only to once again see the body of his fallen friend and then slowly, deliberately raise his head up.

"If I get answers" Rocky said through a clenched jaw.

"That depends on the questions" replied Zedd.

"Well the first one is to Katherine; why?" He turned his head toward her.

Katherine brought her free hand up and used it to unbuckle her helmet, removing it to look at Rocky with her own eyes. Within the centre of her pupils an ember flame seemed to burn, a flame that had not been there before, it overtook her eyes for a moment seeming to light them with fire itself.

"It's a long story. But the short and sweet is that I answer to Bandora and Bandora answers to Zedd. So I answer to Zedd" She decadently smirked.

"It was you" Adam interjected "you programmed the Zords to bring us here and leave us high and dry."

"Clever boy. Shame you have no other admirable traits" Katherine spoke with malice.

Adam could only lower his head away from her partly in hurt, partly in anger.

"She did far more than that my young insect. She has delivered a device to each that now leaves them under my control as you soon will be. One way or the other" Zedd told them gleefully.

"But Kat…your one of us! You're human! You have sold out your own fucking race!" Aisha stepped forward ahead of Rocky to reach her.

The soldiers behind Zedd quickly raised their weapons to stop her but were unneeded as Zedd himself raised his large metallic Staff to her neck, halting her in her tracks "Bow!"

Aisha looked up the silver object into the visor or her adversary. Neither could see each other's eyes and for this she was glad, in hers was very real fear.

"Very well" Zedd spoke softly now "if that is the way it has to be."

It seemed the end was near for them as Aisha looked up the silver metal at Zedd, Rocky and Adam moving forward not about to let anything happen. But they knew that no matter what the current odds said they would be dead in moments. They had accepted this. Zedd's staff glowed as it began to charge with electricity.

Then in the distance there was a new sound over the chaos and destruction, a new engine like sound that rumbled the sky. It halted all in their actions as they looked up towards it. From the clouds descended the same white Siberian Tiger like Zord that the Rangers had seen months ago. This was the White Tiger Zord, the Zord of the White Ranger.

"What?" Zedd frowned beneath his mask in confusion.

"Our trump card Zedd. Guess he found us" Rocky smiled, hoping his joy was founded.

As the Tiger descended toward the ground of the large burning city its shape began to change. From its main mass formed legs, its front former legs becoming arms and from above its Tiger head came the head of a humanoid form. The Zord has evolved into a humanoid battle mode. Finally from its right hand formed a large Chinese sword which it raises in a combat ready stance.

'Of course' Adam thought to himself 'Katherine didn't have access to his Zord.'

The large Zord's legs began moving as it moved forward bringing its sword to bear on a battle suit, deflecting three shots and then answering with a hard slash across the chest that brought the thing down dissected heap. It turned, raising the sword again, and shot off towards the next one.

At that moment the remaining three took their cue. Aisha brought her arms up, throwing back Zedd's staff and then kicked at him. He stumbled back a moment as from the opening behind him reinforcements arrived. The Rangers regrouped back with Rocky at their head and then launched forward, going to work.

The Falcon Zord came down with a hard pass, taking out another ship as it did so. Behind it the Ape Zord leaped onto one of its own tearing it apart with its hands and then taking a few blasts before it returned them with shots from its cannon. The Bear Zord swung another of the mechanoid craft. The Wolf launched forward with its rockets in a pouncing like maneuver bringing its jaws down across the hull and with sparks of fire literally shuck it apart.

"We are doing well" Amelia commented.

"Keep focused" Diana instructed as she brought her Zord in for another pass.

As if in response three of the craft were able to surround the Wolf Zord and fired from every side, the blasts ripping and shredding away at the blue and silver hull. The Frog Zord came in leaping with its hind legs from one ship to another, firing weapons from its belly as it did so leaving hulks in its wake before leaping onto one of the ships surrounding Amelia. It landed and at once Darios did his job, firing and sending the ship spinning out of control below him, leaping from it like a lily pad before it exploded but as it rose took a hard blast from one of the capital vessels, fighters moving over to cause it further damage. The Falcon Zord swung down and in for the save, firing its main batteries destroying the fighters and then heading towards the capital ship.

Grayson piloted with skill maneuvering around blasts as they came from the many areas upon the side of the ship facing in a broadside manner. The last volley however managed to catch him almost tearing off one of the wings and causing heavy damage to its underside. The alarms sounded in the cockpit as the Zord span out of control, its damage like burning, scorched wounds. Finally Grayson was able to right it with emergency power to see…the ships turning away. Upon the back of the departing vessels a white light grew and began to build getting more intense with each second and then suddenly with a blink of an eye were gone.

"I do not understand" Grayson frowned.

"Indeed. They appeared to be swaying the tide" Yui added.

"I understand" Diana spoke up, sitting back as she nodded "they may have been winning at the moment they left but they lost many vessels and many more would have been lost before we would have been destroyed. No, they are conserving their resources, combining them with others. Mark my words my friends; they will be back."

Adam brought his conjured sword up and drove it into the belly of a Zedorian solider, hearing the sound of tearing flesh and then leaping up, spinning and coming down to remove a seconds head. As he landed it amazed him how easily he had been converted, how easily the need for survival had motivated him to take two lives in as many moments. He had little time to mull this over however as another of the many enemies moved in and struck him, sending him back. Behind him Aisha was trading blows and blocks back and forth with another, finally able to bring her leg up and strike him around the head, sending him back and down then bringing her blaster weapon out and firing down at him. At the far side Rocky leaped into the air delivering a flying dropkick that sent one of the soldiers falling back into one of its comrades. He then ran forward and sliced his weapon across ones throat while simultaneously firing at the other and stopping to turn and do battle with the others.

The White Tiger Zord reeled as it took two blasts to its chest, another battle suit moving in just behind another building, beside the other and answered with several blasts of its own that sent the giant sword flying from the Zord's hand, crashing below and destroying cars in its wake, the ground rumbling and causing people to fall and scatter.

The battle suits moved in on the hunched Zord, aiming their arm cannons for the kill. The White Ranger moved his torso forward, controlling the Zord to do so also and with a command sent a shot firing out from the Tiger head, now on its chest, destroying the first suit in an explosion that lit up the dimming blue sky in fire. It then reached down and picked up its sword, ready for the other one, deflecting its blasts and slicing off its robotic head. The robot controlled weapon promptly fell backwards crashing through a skyscraper, destroying it and the building with a crash of glass and metal.

Aisha brought her sword down into the alien solider and moved back, feeling the satisfaction of her bloodlust and quickly becoming ashamed of it. Her teammates needed her regardless. She turned and moved to head back into the heat of the remaining battle when before her came Katherine, her helmet now replaced, swinging her own sword for her former teammate. Aisha brought her sword up blocking it. She withdrew and this time she swung horizontally and similarly Katherine blocked it, using all her might to push it up and then swung hard slicing the Yellow Thunder Ranger's sword in two. Aisha went to her holster for her blaster but was Katherine was quicker. She grabbed Aisha by the throat and pulling her in by the neck and lifting her with one hand, bringing her other up and pulling her power coin from her morpher with the other. Rocky and Adam were busy, pinned down by the numbers but in the heat of battle even they saw as the Yellow armor around Aisha flickered, dissolved and was gone.

"No!" Adam cried, running forward towards them but was cut off, blasted hard in the chest and sent flying back onto his back.

Katherine moved her head away from the distraction and back to Aisha in her grip, smiling as she released it and let her fall to the ground below choking.

"You are nothing but a human now" Katherine remarked "and not worth my time."

Meanwhile several of the aliens had moved in continuing to pummel Adam with punches to the head and then holding him as one reached down and removed his coin, pulling it from its rightful place.

Rocky could only watch this in horror while ducking blows. He lifted up from the last kicking back one foe and blasting it, kicking behind him with full force and sending another solider there flying from Serpentera to the streets far below with a scream. He struck a third with a shot of his blaster and looked up into the eyes of Zedd beyond. Katherine and the captain of the squad gathered around him handing him the coins of Aisha, Adam and…Joey? Rocky looked down seeing the fallen body of his friend now open to air and without his armor. He let out a cry of rage and ran forward, discarding his blaster and calling for his sword. One solider came in and was struck away in mid stride with a hard swing of the sword to the gut, another, and another, right and left they came and still Rocky charged on toward Zedd. As the final one fell before him he leaped into the air bringing his weapon down with a mighty cry that would wake the dead. As he did however Zedd raised his staff towards the Red Thunder Ranger and fired. Rocky took the full force of the charged electrical blast, flying back with force over the edge of the ship and falling the hundreds of feet down with a final cry that echoed around them all. Zedd lowered his staff in satisfaction, before him Rocky's sword landed with a clank of metal upon metal on the deck.

The original team had been confused at first, but only at first. They knew instantly who had transported them. Within the walls of Eltar Station Billy was attended to by the medical droids, his comrades having now headed to the Power Chamber.

At the centre of this station Jason, Kimberly, Zack and Trini now stood watching the events in horror. They had accepted the advice of their mentor before, deciding to regroup and wait until Billy was treated before returning to the battle but now as Jason had watched with fear and anger, finally he marched across to the operations table and took his helmet from it.

"That's it! I'm going. You guys are welcome to stay here" Jason said as he took the metal headpiece and began walking toward the elevator.

The others looked at each other for a moment and then followed.

"Rangers" Zordon spoke up "if you go you will only add to Zedd's victory."
"People are dying! Our teammates…our friends are dying!" Jason shouted out as he turned with a deliberate sharp movement of his arm "I am not going to sit here and watch it happen!"

"You must be patient. Soon I will…"

"Soon? Soon New York will be a crater along with every other major city the converted ships are attacking!" Jason shot back and then began shaking his head "Maybe…maybe Moore was right about you. Maybe we shouldn't leave the Earth in the hands of an alien!"

"Rocky was able to survive his fall, the White Ranger is still in combat, the third team is on their way back towards Earth…"

"Joey's dead! Aisha and Adam are powerless and soon will be! Three coins are in the hands of Zedd and oh yes, Katherine betrayed us right under your nose!"

The tension filled the air as Jason's words faded leaving the Power Chamber in silent seconds that felt like minuets. That silence was broken as the doors they had been heading for opened and from them emerged Billy. Trini smiled and ran towards him, he caught her with a hug as she grabbed him, straightening and looking at the others.

"Billy are you…?" Jason asked.

"Better than new, part from a sore pain" Billy replied.

"Jason" Zordon cut in "there have been many failings and defeats today, there has also been much death and I do not want to add to it by sacrificing you needlessly and in doing so give up the Earth's last hope for survival this day. You are once again five and you may go now back into the battle. There is however the matter of your Zords having been destroyed and the sheer number and strength of the forces you are facing. Lord Zedd believes he has control of the Thunder Zords but I believe I can use my decoding abilities to free them and turn over control to you."
"How long?" Kimberly moved forward to ask.

"Uncertain but I will use all my resources to do so."

"How long till Diana's team gets here?" Billy asked.

"Two point eight hours."
"Right. Let's move out Rangers" Jason nodded and turned to others, heading into the elevator. As the five young men and women entered it, standing back facing the doors closing before them Zordon looked on with an observant eye.
They once headed into battle to save their friends and their planet, the odds never worse than today. One thing however was certain. For the Power Rangers things would never be the same.