"War" Part 6
Five dots of metallic colour move in forming the full, featured shapes of the Ninjetti Zords. In the cockpit of the Ape Zord Diana looks up from her controls and ahead of her what where moving dots are finally fading into view as the massive Zedorian armada, the blockade formed with the majority of the ships that did not have transformation abilities for land combat. Capital ships seem to be majestically drifting, fighters passes between them like flies around a carcass.
Diana is broken from this as her com unit beeps, taking a moment to become aware and answer it.
"Diana" she speaks into the highly sensitive microphone above her head.
"It is Zordon" comes the stilted reply.
"Wise One, it is good you are still with us" Diana lets out a sigh of relief.
"I have moved the station out of orbit and activated the cloaking device…"
"Excuse me but what is that?" Chimes in Grayson.
"Let us just say I am not visible. What is the status of the Machine fleet?"
"They retreated after we only destroyed a handful of vessels" Diana responds.
"Perhaps they were not expecting such resistance" Yui comments.
"Perhaps but I believe that they shall return Wise One, their actions seem to suggest motives other than a full assault. It was unlikely they would have survived battling us and the Evil One's fleet" Diana speaks.
"Indeed, but for now let us focus on the battle at hand" Zordon replies.
"Of course Wise One. I trust with the loss of your original team the battle does not go well?" She asks.
"Jason and his team were able to survive the destruction of their Zords."
"Oh praise the Gods!" She exclaims but is cut off.
"However you are correct, it does not go well. The Thunder Rangers were defeated due to a betrayal by Katherine, Joey is dead and the others are powerless or missing. Converted Zedorian ships and battle suits are attacking every capitol or major city on the planet" Diana feels herself swallow as he speaks "the Original team and the White Ranger have engaged Zed onboard Serpentera in America's New York City and I am working to give them control of Thunder Zords which Zedd has reprogrammed."
"We are minutes away, shall we join them?"
"No, engage the blockade and try to thin out their numbers" Zordon commands.
"As you wish Wise One" she nods and cuts the channel.
After a few moments she hears Grayson's voice over her speakers "Diana, why are we taking orders from this alien intelligence?"
"Because he the closest thing to an ancient we have left" she replies quickly "and because he is correct…for now."
The large black, shaped metallic mass pulled apart revealing the inner mechanisms of the large door. Behind the door a silver blade like point struck the deck, followed by equally metallic feet belonging to that of the vessels commander. Zedd. With the better part of three imperial battalions dead and the enemy gaining reinforcement he had been forced to retreat from battle, to use his ships clumsy, large weapons to drive his enemies off so as to make the escape. Needless to say this regular fowl tempered dictator was possibly frothing with rage as having to resort to such tactics, having to retreat again. This time the humiliation was doubled in the fact that he had been personally engaged in close quarter combat.
Zedd stormed through his command deck ignoring the salutes and hails as he passed the insignificant crew. His destination was the command area where his future wife had been in command. He walked with purpose over to the operations table where she stood, Bandora turning to great him with a watchful eye.
"Why have we stopped firing? They are right below us! Step on the insects if you have to!" His voice echoed from the walls with the sheer volume.
"Because you ordered us to fire on our own hull!" Bandora turns from the table and fires back "we are working to repair the damage caused and recharge main power after a resulting overload…my Lord."
"I had the situation well in hand before that…other one showed up. Who is he?" Zedd snarls.
"I have an idea but now is not the time, we have picked up human air craft headed this way and without main power even they may cause enough damage to cripple us. I asked you if you wanted the secondary reinforcements and you told me you had them down!"
"I did!" His red body was seeming to glow with his rage.
"Then why are most of them still alive! You had the coins and Katherine, had it not been for your ego…"
She is cut off as Zedd brings up his staff and smashes her across the face, watching blood fly from her mouth and Bandora crumble to the floor and after a moment weakly look up. As soon as she does he brings the metallic head of it down under her chin, pressing against her neck and pinning her to the cold, hard deck.
"That is enough you insolent wretch! I don't care if we are due to be bound or who your farther is! When this is all said and done I will have total power and I will use it crush him and the other Nobles under my heel. If you want your family, including you" he digs it in further "to be alive to see that I suggest you begin showing me the proper respect."
"My Lord!" An officer calls out from across the Command Deck, unsure on whether it was a wise move to do so "power has been restored."
Zedd shoots a look at him for a moment, almost growling with slow breaths before finally calming himself and backing away, walking up the steps towards his throne.
"Target the Zord ahead of us and fire at will" he barks as he does so.
Below Katherine runs forward beside the women she has become loyal to, helping her to sit up.
"My Empress, are you alright?" She asks worriedly.
"I will be" Bandora replies as she glares over at Zedd "I will be."
The group could only look on in wonder and horror, a mix of questions and emotions running through them. Zack held his chest from the battle damage but had been able to right himself, Adam and Aisha were wounded but also alive and standing. Ahead of the group were Jason and Kimberly. Kimberly has barely finished saying the young man's name when he shot back a face of annoyance, walked forward and picked up his helmet, replacing it upon his head.
"That is not my name" he said simply.
"What? Tommy…" Jason started.
"That is not my name!" The White Ranger snapped and then tilted his head to look up at the colossal flag ship "why have they stopped firing?"
Kimberly turned her head to look over at Jason, he did the same. He knew that if he could see her face that she would probably be a mess of anger, confusion and sadness. That was a sight he was glad to save for a better time. Instead he turned back to the White Ranger and walked up beside him, following his eye line with his own.
"Ok" he finally said "it's not."
"I will explain, but for now Red Ranger we have a battle to win" the White Ranger looked now at him "if you will excuse me."
They all watched in silence and wonder as the White Ranger shot off towards the head of his dormant Zord, bringing it to life a moment later. Moments later their ears were also filled with a faint sound of engines. Jason turned looking into the distance and seeing military fighter jets coming in for an attack.
All other noise was then drowned out, snapping him back behind him at a loud rumbling sound that meant Serpentera was coming back online. Jason looked down, frozen for a moment and not knowing how to act. In that strangely loud and yet quiet moment he spotted someone in his peripheral vision. It was a child probably not even ten years old, ignoring his mother's shrill cries behind him to keep moving and just…staring at them. Behind his visor Jason's eyes met with this child and in that moment everything fell into perspective. Behind all the bullshit that came with a selfish paranoid and needless complicated mindset of an adult this child saw them for what they truly were. Heroes. But more than that they were his own personal superheroes come to save him from the unimaginable terror he was facing today.
"Come on" Jason spoke as time seemed to return to normal, the child being snatched up by his mother, he turning back to the others "we have a job to do."
"Umm Jace" Zack spoke up "how the hell are we going to do anything to that thing without Zords? Nobody is outside for the fresh air this time and something tells me that thing isn't staying in that one place too long."
Jason didn't have an answer for Zack, the rest of the team or for himself. He just knew that had to do something. As if in response to his very thoughts, like the miracle he had just prayed for, his wrist communication device beeped. Jason could not help but smile, glad the others could not see it given the situation, and hoped it was the news he needed as he raised his wrist to his mouth and answered.
"Zordon?" He hoped.
"Yes Jason" came the familiar voice "you will be pleased to hear I have reprogrammed the Thunder Zords, they will now answer to the five of you. I have already taken the liberty to send them to New York City but I cannot guarantee your success. Good luck Rangers."
The Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. The main hub of defense for the largest military force on the planet. Inside one of its many secure walls a door opens and First Lieutenant James Moore enters the operations room monitoring and directing the human side of the counter attack.
Moore spots Colonel West standing just past a busy, panicking group of people and walks over.
"You asked to see me sir" he speaks, his voice towards his superior but his eyes and attention on the monitor showing the devastation throughout the civilized world.
"Your dam right I did!" West gets his full attention "you are head of the department whose job it was to get the necessary tools to defend this country, hell the whole dam world! And here we are under full extra terrestrial invasion and for all the millions you spent we have nothing! Do you know how many people have died today because of that!"
"Yes sir" he lowers his head before looking up "but if you will let me explain. The so called heroes…"
"Have had their asses handed to them like everyone else! Maybe if you had been able to get their technology working with in conjunction with the force of our and our allies military we could have been prepared for this! Instead you fucked it up and we have nothing to do but stand here, piss our pants and wait for the bombs to drop or for us to all become slaves!"
"Sir if you…"
"The Secretary of Defense personally wanted to fire your ass when you screwed up your mission a few months ago but we gave you more time" West glares "pack your bags Mister because you're going back with everyone else on the front line. Let's hope you have an office to clear out in the time we have."
"West!" Came a gravelly voice Moore knew to be the General "we are about to strike."
"Yes sir" West nods, looks at Moore one more time before heading over.
For his part Moore could only stand there in his shame, knowing the young kids and veterans around him saw all of that. He had nothing left to do but look up and watch as the fighter planes moved in.
"I have a lock" came the voice of the leading pilot.
"It looks dead" added another.
"Tell them to just fire" cut in the General to the communications officer below him.
"Bravo Ten you have permission to fire, repeat fire when ready" the officer spoke.
All look up, watching from multiple angles, including wing cameras, as each fighter swings in and fires two missiles. Each impacted on the hull of the large black, metallic object ahead but none seemed to do much damage. That disappointment was cut short moments later by the humanoid form coming to life, its 'eyes' glowing red as it aimed weapons and fired. One by one with screams the pilots screens and com chatter when to static. Around them the officers and commanders could only lower their heads. Moore slowly turned to look at a screen next to one filled with static, this one showing the news coverage of the event. On it he saw the large alien form be intercepted by something else humanoid, a white shaped machine. Moore knew at once that this was a machine he had come to know as a Zord. He did not attempt to hide his anger or contempt that his fate, as humanities was in the hands of these children who had been given powers they didn't understand by an alien who in his mind did not care.
The White Tiger Zord brought its colossal blade down hard upon the surface of Serpentera and watched as sparks flew and fires started where it had struck. The White Ranger swung the sword back with both hands, using a mock version in his cockpit to control with his motion, and came in for another pass but was blocked as the right arm of Serpentera came up, following it up with multiple blasts from its surface into the Zord. The impact struck the Tiger Zord hard sending it flying and crashing back through a skyscraper. The sound of breaking glass and metal all the White Ranger could hear as he hoped the building was evacuated but knew his fall alone may kill hundreds. Finally he hit the ground. Serpentera came thundering over as the White Ranger tried to right his Zord and failed. Serpentera then aimed all its main batteries down towards the cockpit and he knew his time had come, the Zord far too damaged from the multiple engagements today. But before he could finish this thought he saw several blasts streak across the sky and crash hard into the surface of Serpentera, reeling it back. Over the com line he then heard Jason's voice.
"Sorry it took so long To….White Ranger."
In the distance, coming into view through the smoke and dust were the five forms of the Thunder Zords.
"Alright guys, bring them together" Jason commanded his team.
"Um Jason…how do we do that?" Came Kimberly's reply.
"There should be a button to the left of your throttle, it has a symbol looking like the letter M" Billy responded.
"Alright got it."
Jason looked down and pressed his, seeing the ground and buildings streak away as he raised to the sky and heard the sound of massive moving parts of metal.
The automatic sequence at once transformed the Red Dragon to humanoid mode, it then lowered down into the boots now formed by the Pegasus and Griffin. The Lion Zord came behind forming the arms and head as the Phoenix gave the final touch. The Thunder Megazord dropped down from the sky with a mighty boom that shuck almost the entire island and then unsheathed its beautiful, oriental blade, swinging it into a ready stance. Jason then timidly moved his legs and arms, moving the Megazord forward and then raised his arms with his own mock sword. Beside him the White Tiger Zord had now gotten back onto its feet and had also raised its own blade.
The two giants of metal surrounded Serpentera on both sides, waiting for Zedd to make the first move. He did, firing its main weapons at the Megazord but could not turn them in time to the White Tiger Zord who brought its blade down, slicing into the hull and causing heavy damage. The Thunder Megazord swung back and did the same, taking out the equivalent of hundreds of stories from the ships 'shoulder' and stood back as what had been its right arm fell from it and crashed into the streets below.
Inside the Command Deck of the flagship alarms were sounding, lights even dimmer than usual, consoles sparking, fires blazing and many lay dead around Zedd's feet as he straightened himself back into his throne, pushing aside a beam that had collapsed onto it.
"Fire with everything we have!" He yelled over the noise.
"We can't! We are outnumbered and out matched! We will be destroyed!" Bandora shouted back, pulling herself up on the flickering operations table and showing a bleeding wound now upon her forehead "we must withdraw my Lord!"
"No!" Zedd snapped back as he stood "recall all converted ships to this area! Have the others land if we have too! I will not lose to these insects again!"
"The nearest ship is an hour away!" she started but was cut off as the ship was shuck hard again from another strike, sending her crashing to the floor.
Bandora finally was able to pick herself up, a little more worst for wares but seeing Zedd as he had been thrown down his platform stairs. The Emperor now used his staff to lift himself back to his feet, the deck ablaze around him.
"My Lord we have not lost, not yet! We have lost the battle but we will win the war!" Bandora pleaded "if you will listen to reason but first we must get out of here while we still can!"
Zedd hobbled with purpose towards her looking at first like his may still argue but then as he was rocked again and common sense prevailed he conceded.
"Very well" he hissed and turned towards anyone else who was still alive "get us out of here!"
Bandora then watched as Zedd ascended his platform again as Katherine joined her side.
"He is an insane fool" she commented quietly.
"Yes, but he is also a very dangerous man to make an enemy of my dear. Besides" she looks at Katherine "he is soon to be my husband."
The Rangers watched as Serpentera's main engines fired and with speeds they knew they could not match it took to the sky and transformed back into its dragon like form, or what was left of it. Disappearing into the clouds like a wounded beast fleeing from a predator.
"Shit!" Jason wacked the panel in front of him "we had him! We fucking had him! Now all this was for nothing!"
The others sat in silence for a few moments also feeling Jason's mix of anger and depression before Kimberly spoke up, placing her hand on his shoulder.
"Jason, I have a feeling we isn't going anywhere. Don't worry, we will get him" she spoke softly.
He lowered his head, bringing his hand up to meet hers.
With the Zord's stealth systems the Rangers, or what was left of them, had been able to pilot the surviving Zords into the Eltar Station hangar as it hung invisible in the space above Earth. Just ahead hundreds of Zedorian ships circled their planet, one of many grim reminders that their victory had been minor.
In the Power Chamber the mood was that of grief and anger. They had been betrayed, a friend was dead, some of their powers stolen and the Dinosaur Zords were destroyed. Adam an Aisha had been brought with them and now they sat silently quaking to themselves, sweating and generally not looking well.
"Will they be ok?" Trini asked in concern as she looked at them.
"In time I hope" Zordon responded "their bodies are suffering withdrawal from their power coins. They still act in ways I cannot fathom and their joining with their host is one of them."
"This is horseshit!" Jason kicked the table in front of him hard and looked up at Zordon in anger "you should have let us head for the other cities and take the fight to the bastards!"
"As I have stated Jason, all hostile activity has stopped" Zordon replied.
"For now! All the more reason we go and turn them into scrap for what they have done!"
"We neither have a plan nor the resources to do so at the moment Jason."
"I got a plan for you! We go down there and blow shit up until no Zedorian's are left standing!" Jason sneers up at Zordon's projection.
"And in doing so goad them into further hostilities and killing many more thousands, if not millions" Zordon retorts without raising his voice, Jason having no answer for him and backing down "and it is I you claim to have no care for your race."
"And what about him?" Kimberly pushed off from a leaning position on a railing and pointed at the White Ranger who was now stood without his helmet "I'm sorry if this is a bad time but I need some God dam answers." For his part the White Ranger simply and slowly looked nonchalantly back at her.
"It is regrettable you found out in this way Rangers. Now you know why…" Zordon began.
"Just answer the question Zordon!" Kimberly yelled "is he Tommy or not?"
Zordon paused for a moment before finally answering "no. He is a clone."
"A clone?" Jason shot back to life.
"Created by Bandora while Tommy was in her service. I do not know for what reason but from what Kaku told me the Thunder Ranger's discovered him in stasis while on a reconnaissance mission to Zedd's Mars base once he abandoned it ."
"What?" Jason cried and looked over with anger at Adam and Aisha.
"Jason…"Adam starts.
"Do not blame them Jason. The container was sealed and Kaku told no one but Rocky of its contents."
Jason lowered his head, his hand in a fist and his body almost quivering with a mix of emotions. Kimberly for her part was almost at the break of tears, her voice cracking as she spoke "Does he remember anything?"
"No" The White Ranger finally spoke up "I don't. I only have the body of the man you knew. All I was programmed with is what I have. My skills. And I would appreciate not being spoken about like I'm not here."
"Sorry" was all Kim could mutter before turning her head so as not to look at him.
"Speaking of Rocky, where the hell is he? You said he survived his fall but we haven't found him" Billy broke the awkward silence.
"I lost contact moments after you engaged Zedd which means he is no longer wearing his wrist communicator or he later perished" Zordon told the group.
"Guys!" Zack called over breaking all conversations and trails of thought "you better have a look at this."
The group gathered around the screen as upon it a planet wide broadcast was being shown. Upon the screen was the President of the United States.
"My fellow Americans…no my fellow Humans. I come before you today after having considered every possible option available to me and after consultation I speak on behalf of almost every country that is a member of the United Nations. At ten thirty six this morning a massive and unimaginable invasion fleet came from the stars and destroyed most of what was our major cities. We should have seen it coming after the multiple attacks these people had committed on us since we became aware of their existence but we were not. As a result of a death toll reaching millions and no other alternative I speak on behalf of the planet Earth in issuing our unconditional surrender to the being known as Zedd."
The Rangers each widen their eyes, speechless as they look around at each other, Trini whimpering softly in Billy's arms as they hold on to comfort each other.
"And to the unknown force that calls themselves the Power Rangers we ask that you not try anything to stop this happening, or any sort of insurrection. As seen today your resistance only meets with further innocent deaths and indeed there may never been have been any casualties had you not resisted them on first contact. I now hand you over to Emperor Zedd."
With that the screen flickers for a moment before settling the darkened and damaged bridge of Serpentera, Zedd stood in the centre.
"That is Lord Zedd" he speaks relatively calmly "and you will do more than that humans. As of right now this planet and its people belong to the Zedorian Empire and you will fall under the laws and jurisdiction of the Zedorian Empire. As of this moment the humans known as Power Rangers are wanted war criminals and are to be brought in alive or dead. Anyone known to have helped or harbored them will also meet death. Anyone who breaks a major Zedorian law will meet death as may their surrounding area. Any country, continent or body that tries rebellion will be met with extermination on a fitting scale. That is all for now."
As the screen goes back a speechless news caster the Rangers can only stand in silence, the only sound that of the stations constant hum and equipment. Finally unable to take anymore Jason drops to his knees and breaks down into tears. They have failed, Earth belongs to Zedd.
Next Time: Answers as we find out Katherine's story and what lead her to her betrayal.