Princess Viera was led to her assigned quarters and dismissed the Kudabot that had been sent to lead her there. She had been treated thus far with all the pomp and ceremony that she would have expected from her station, but she was already growing weary of Cosmo's false pandering, knowing that he would not care in the slightest if she was slaughtered on live television just as her father had been.
Princess Viera was young, very young for someone to ascend to the throne in the Lion Galaxy. While younger monarchs had existed in the galaxy's history, the monarch's reign lasted only as long as their life and as long as they could hold power. While some monarchs had reigned for decades and others only minutes and seconds, the average length of a reign was only about seven years.
She pulled off her helmet and placed it on a table, taking her hair down to relieve her a little. Her hair was long and bundling it up inside her helmet made it very hot, itchy and uncomfortable. As she laid it down, Drillion, who she had almost forgotten was with her due to his silence, spoke up.
"Your highness, you should not remove your armour." He warned her. Viera just turned and glared at him.
"It is my place to decide…"
"Your highness, your enemies will not hesitate to take advantage of any moment of vulnerability. You must be strong and ready in every moment of the day…"
"Galvanax will NOT murder me in my bedroom!" She put down flatly.
"But your highness…"
"You are my bodyguard! Not my advisor, not my counsellor and certainly not my father!" She interrupted him sharply. "Do not forget your place!"
"Of course, your highness." Drillion said, looking to her. It took him a moment to bow to acknowledge her station and her order, something Viera had noticed ever since her ascension. Drillion had been unbendingly loyal to her father, but since his death and since Drillion's service passed to her, she noticed that he was a little more free to question and ponder her orders.
"Leave me." She told him. "Find somewhere to stay, I will call upon you if you are needed."
"Your High…" He was about to question her insistence that he leave her alone but seeing her raising a finger to indicate she wasn't kidding, he just bowed and left the room, sealing the door behind her. Viera just groaned aloud as she engaged the locking mechanism, before turning and starting the long and laborious process of removing her Lion Fire Armour.
If her helmet was uncomfortable, her armour could be borderline torturous to wear. Even though she had been granted it upon her ascension to the throne, practically taking it straight from her father's corpse the moment it was returned to them after his demise, she had never felt comfortable wearing it. She looked in the wardrobe for some nightwear, finding that Cosmo had provided her with a fine selection, made in styles and from materials from the length and breadth of the universe. She found a robe that suited her, and changed into it, allowing her to feel for the first time since she arrived like she was able to relax.
She didn't know why she was here. She knew the PRACTICAL reason, she was here to fight, but she wasn't sure why she should, or why exactly these Rangers should be destroyed, but she knew that it was a demonstration of strength for her people.
Her father was a despot, that much was clear. She loved him as her father, but as a man, as a person, he was a dictator of unimaginable cruelty and brutality. Even among the warlike people of the Lion Galaxy, he had been considered bloodthirsty and that was taken as strength. He had respect and fear everywhere he went, and even among his people his military campaigns were considered meat grinders. He had once wiped out an entire planet because one unit they had sent him for a campaign had not stood to attention when he went to congratulate them after a successful raid. It didn't matter to him that there were only three members of the unit left, one of whom was hanging on by a thread while the other two were exhausted by days of combat and burying their friends. That they didn't stand as soon as they saw him was seen by him as reason enough to make their whole world pay for their insolence.
Viera had grown up in this environment and had watched for years as he ruled in this manner. For her eighth birthday she had been given her first slave. For her tenth, her father gave her the 'gift' of a lesson in how to deal with traitors, when a rebel group that sought to overthrow him had been captured. He had put them all in coffins with life support systems that would keep them alive for as long as he saw fit to feed them intravenously and buried them in concrete alive. He had set up video monitors that fed into cameras in the coffins so that he could see them alive in those coffins and check to ensure that they were still suffering the cost of defiance. She wasn't sure whether or not they were still alive in there, she had been unable to bring herself to go back.
When she ascended the throne, there were already questions over her suitability for the role. People didn't see a new ruler, they saw a young girl, barely a woman. They saw a small, frail looking girl, that looked as terrified as she was weak. Her reign had already lasted longer than some had predicted, but that was largely because of holdover subjects from her father's reign who crushed a few attempts on her life, though it seemed even they were starting to wonder if she was worth the trouble. Viera needed to prove that she was strong and knowing that her father had demonstrated his power on Galaxy Warriors, she sought to do the same. Why fight wars when she could spread the word of her strength with only a single fight?
Her father had appeared on the show a number of times in his reign. He was almost as addicted to the show as he was to war, and that had ended up being what cost him in the end. He had sought to cement his legacy by being both the ruler of the Lion Galaxy and also the Galaxy Warriors Champion. It was the latter that cost him, and in his championship bout, he had fallen short with fatal results. Viera had little interest in taking things that far, but a strong showing against a prominent opponent…or opponents, would be enough to silence a number of her detractors.
She had heard of Power Rangers. Even though she was not from Earth, their reputation had spread far. There were Rangers on other worlds, like Aquitar and Triforia, but even the Rangers of Earth had their reputation. In her lifetime, they had defeated numerous high-profile warriors from the stars. Lothor, The Feercats, The Warstar, The Armada…the Rangers had destroyed them all. She had no quarrel with the Rangers herself, she didn't even really know who they were or why they fought, but as much as the fight would be pointless, perhaps with one fight, she could save herself a lifetime of war and get on with ruling the Lion Galaxy in a way that could lead it forward in a meaningful way. That was worth the sacrifice of a couple of lives wasn't it?
She lay back on her bed, and turned on the viewing screen, using the handset to pull up the recordings she had requested. Pulling the covers over herself, she watched the footage available for some background on her prey. In the morning, she would get a chance to see them in action up close. When she took on the Rangers, they universe would be watching, and they would all know that Princess Viera was worthy of her throne.
In another part of the Warrior Dome, Wrench brought Cosmo to one of the many gyms. Cosmo had asked him to get him a low-key talent, someone that he wouldn't care about losing in battle to the Rangers since he was not going to be broadcasting this battle. The next battle was going to be for an audience of one. Princess Viera had asked to see the Rangers in battle up close, and to do that she was happy to pay him the value of a warrior to see it happen.
Of course, "paying the value" meant a lot of things had to be taken into account. For one thing, different fighters had different values. Their contracts were a good starting point, some would demand a much higher appearance fee than others. Especially those low on the ladder would take on incredible risks for very little pay. It wasn't unknown for some fighters early in their career to spend more travelling to the Warrior Dome than they got paid! Those that moved in often had to go through their first four or five fights to pay off the move. A huge number of them secured other employment over and above fighting to pay their bills.
Their appearance fee though wasn't the only factor in determining their value. Merchandise, promotion, name value, all of those were big things. There was little point in losing a big name in a pointless match that few would see. Ripcon's pay-per-view event had netted Cosmo a fortune, which was the only reason he didn't really worry too much about his loss. Ideally, he was looking for someone whose loss would cost him virtually nothing, so that when Viera paid out the contract he would be at a net gain overall.
"This better be good Wrench." Cosmo told him.
"Trust me, you will NOT be sorry!" Wrench told him. "I have found the most worthless monster I could find!"
"Well, let's not keep me waiting!" Cosmo rushed out. Wrench took hold of the door and opened it, showing Cosmo in. He was completely unprepared for what he found inside.
"Bend and thrust, bend and thrust! Come on you weaklings!" A heavily accented voice called out as everyone in the room performed tuck jumps on his command. "I want to see some sweat! I want to see pain! Come on you flabby losers, that gut won't shift itself!"
"This is…" Cosmo started to say, pointing at the room and looking confused. "You brought me to some jazzercize club?"
"Personal training session!" Wrench said. "The class is widely considered the most sadistic and toughest health club in the colony!"
"So you want me to send what? Some overweight office worker against the Rangers?" Cosmo asked him.
"No, I expect you to send him." Wrench told him. He pointed to the monster on the stage, screaming at the class in his ridiculous accent.
"Come on fatty! Let's see that body move! I want you to feel the burn!" He screamed at them. "No, that's not right! Do it like THIS! Put some effort into it!"
"You…you are kidding right?" Cosmo asked him. Wrench pulled out his tablet and pulled up the file for the monster.
"Shoespike, he signed a contract with us three years ago, and so far, he still hasn't had his first match." Wrench told him. "He's been here working as a personal trainer to make ends meet while he waits on that magical phone call."
"I can see why." Cosmo said, looking horrified. "I know most of my warriors aren't exactly brain surgeons, but he's a muscle-headed moron! He…"
"He's strong, he's fast, and more importantly he's dumb enough to take on the fight for the price we'll ask him to do it for." Wrench explained, elaborating on his reasoning. "He looks the part, so the Rangers won't suspect we're just throwing them a loser."
"He looks strong, but the Rangers will mow straight through a bruiser." Cosmo answered. "I need something unique to make sure they don't realise what we're doing."
"Shoespike!" Wrench called out, grabbing the monster's attention. The monster looked up. He started jumping up and down excitedly as he saw Cosmo standing in his gym.
"Oh my…this is it! This is my big moment! It's finally come!" Shoespike called out excitedly. "Mr Cosmo, I'm glad you got my tapes and finally came!"
Cosmo looked to Wrench who just nodded. Shoespike had indeed sent a number of audition tapes, at least three a week, but of course Cosmo hardly ever opened his own mail. Normally production would go through the mail to determine what mail was potentially harmful and what was a waste of his time before sending through the rest.
"Of course!" Cosmo told him. "Now my boy, I have to say, we are very interested in you, so much so we have a very special slot for you. We want you to take on a match tomorrow morning."
"Tomorrow? But that's not broadcast day!" Shoespike whined.
"Well, of course, we don't broadcast all the matches, we always put new talent through a few dark matches to ensure they're right for the cameras." Cosmo told him. "Of course, if you do want to wait…"
"NO!" Shoespike yelled, waving frantically. "No, of course not! I…I'll do it! No one works harder than me! I'm match fight and fighting shape! I could take on anyone right now!"
"Tomorrow will be fine." Cosmo told him. "Though I do wonder, what do you do that's special?"
"Special?" He asked. "You haven't heard about my trophies?"
"Um…no." Cosmo answered. "What do your past accomplishments have to do with anything?"
"I'll show you what I mean!" Shoespike told him, looking to a couple of his students. "You two, race me, one lap around the track right now! If either of you win, you never pay dues again!"
The students lined up on the start line with him, at which Shoespike stood, looking almost uninterested. He called for them to begin, but he waited a few seconds, letting them get a head start before running after them.
"Why…why is he racing them?" Cosmo asked.
"Just watch." Wrench told him. The race continued and Shoespike rushed past the two students, leaving them far behind in his wake. By the time he got to the finish line, he was a good few meters ahead of them both. He turned around and pointed to both of them.
"LOSERS!" He laughed out loud. "And there's no trophy for second place! Of course, there is for the winner!"
In a bright flash of light, the two students disappeared, and in their place, a couple of trophies appeared. Cosmo looked a little surprised as Shoespike picked them up, dancing in a gleeful display of poor sportsmanship.
"I also took the liberty of checking on Summer Cove. You'll never guess what they're doing there tomorrow." Wrench said to him, showing him an advert on the tablet.
"Charity fun run!" Cosmo said with a smile. "Wrench, sometimes I truly think you've missed your calling! Shoespike! Come with me! We just need to do a little something about your appearance."
"My…my appearance?" Shoespike asked.
"Well yes, you want to look good for your new career, don't you?" Cosmo asked. "Think of it as…the mother of all extreme makeovers!"
Meanwhile, down on Earth, in the home of Principal Hastings, Madame Odious was enjoying the benefits of having somewhere quiet, out of the way, and beyond the reach of surveillance to relax. As much as the main reason for taking the Principal captive and keeping her as a prisoner in her own home was largely just a way to keep close to the Rangers, to guide and influence their movements without them even realising it, she did have to admit that it was nice to have somewhere she could go just to be out of reach of the others.
The Gold Ranger's escape had cost her the anonymity of her secret lab. The Astro Zord's blast had opened up the network of tunnels and the lab to open view, meaning that now she could no longer hide there. She had to abandon the projects she had there in order to keep her ambitions of leadership and her schemes from being found out.
She pulled another 'smoothie' out of the fridge and headed down into the basement, where her prisoner was waiting. Principal Hastings by now no longer even knew how long she had been there. Being chained up in the basement with no windows left her no reference to the passage of time. Exhaustion came quickly due to malnutrition and mistreatment meaning she could no longer even rely on when she slept as a way to tell. She would often pass out for some time, only to wake up later just because her body no longer had the energy.
Odious came over to her, looking at the pathetic form of her prisoner and handed her the smoothie. Despite the disgusting flavour, she forced it down, knowing it was the only thing that her captor would allow her to eat.
"My infiltrator is gone; those Rangers are more troublesome than I first thought." Odious told her. "I'm afraid I'll have to keep you here a little longer. I was hoping that I wouldn't need you anymore, but now…now I'm afraid I have to rethink a few things."
"Please, I don't know anything about the Rangers." Hastings pleaded with Odious. "I didn't even know they were in the school. I have no idea who they are or where…"
"Well, it seems you aren't a very good Principal, then are you? You don't know what's going on under your own nose." Madame Odious scorned her. "Now, how about you tell me about this charity fun run tomorrow?"
"What…what about it?" She asked. "We do it every year. It's a run. What is there to explain?"
"This charity thing." Madame Odious told her. "You mean people just GIVE their money away to others and receive nothing in return?"
"Yes, that's what charity is!" Principal Hastings stated. "Some people aren't as fortunate as others, so those with a little extra to spare sometimes give it to them to help them out."
"Hm…you humans are a curious breed, aren't you?" She asked, pulling up a chair. "So, why would you want to help those beneath you?"
"Because not everyone is a sick, twisted freak that delights in tormenting others!" Principal Hastings snapped at her. "You never know when your luck is going to change and you'll be the one begging for help."
"Now that…that sounds like a threat." Madame Odious cackled. "Who do you think is going to help you? That mechanic you hired? The one that kept asking me to go to some stupid museum?"
"Mick?" She asked. "What…what does he have to do with this?"
"You don't even know about…? Oh, that is just TOO precious! You know for an educator you're not really that bright!" She chuckled. "Thanks for that, you've just given me the best laugh I've had in ages!"
With that, she shut off the light and headed upstairs, before locking the basement door shut, once more plunging Principal Hastings into darkness.