Eric was on the phone, sipping some green tea as he took a call from Kyle concerning the state of his company. He smiled.
"It's good to hear." He stated as he was interrupted by the door bell. "Look, someone's at the door, but I just wanted to say...thanks for all you've done."
"I really didn't..."
"Kyle, if it wasn't for you, my company would have fallen apart after my heart attack." He stated. "Thank you, it won't be forgotten."
As he hung up, he went to the door, pulling his cardigan around him.
"Alright, so what are you selling?" He asked. He looked up to see Gia and Emma standing before him. It had been so long since they had left, he couldn't think of anything else to do. He launched forward, gripping both of them in a tight hug.
"You...you're here!" He stammered. "You're really here!"
"Yes, we're here Mr Goodall." Gia told him.
"You have no idea how much I missed you dad." Emma declared as tears ran down her face. She was so close to Eric for so much of her life that it tore her apart to be separated from him. This was the first time in close to a year she had been able to see him. "I love you!"
"I love you too sweetheart." He replied, kissing her forehead, before doing the same to Gia. "I love both of you! Please, all of you come in!"
He funnelled the team into his Living Room, showing them in. He looked more than a little unprepared, he started shuffling some papers around, newspapers documenting the Ranger's victories, shoving them aside.
"Um...sorry the place is such a mess...Louise normally does this stuff and she's at work." He told them. They'd all met and knew Eric, and knew what he meant by this. While his heart attack wasn't fatal, it took a lot from him. He was very restricted on what he was still able to do for himself. Never mind guard duty, even the stress of office work was a tall order for him physically. While he had been one of the most bosses anyone could wish for, after his heart attack, he had been all but house-bound. "Noah...you're looking...wow!"
"Yes sir, I've had a lot of time to train." He responded, gesturing to his new muscular build. Even he could admit that when he had left, he was the runt of the team.
"Jake, you're looking well". He stated. "I'm guessing you're the new guy."
"Orion." The Silver Ranger introduced himself, shaking his hand. "It's an honour to meet you sir."
"The honour's all mine." He replied. "Anyone looking after my little girl is alright in my books."
"Dad, we were hoping we could stay a little while." Ema told him. "Of course we'll make our own arrangements but..."
"You're welcome for as long as you want!" He declared. "Come, come, let me get something for you!"
Emma looked worriedly at Gia, before following him into the kitchen. She saw him rushing around, trying to prepare a platter for them.
"Dad..."
"Emma, it'll only be..."
"Dad, we're fine." She assured him, taking his arm. Putting her hand on his arm, she could feel the bone. He had lost a lot of weight, mostly in muscle, most likely because he wasn't working out as much after his heart attack. He couldn't risk it. She smiled at him. "I...I just want to see you."
"I think I can manage that." He replied. He took the tray through and laid it down, looking to the team.
"You...you all look well." He stated. "Um...I imagine things were pretty exciting on your journey."
"They were." Jordan answered. "Troy...he's around..."
"He came back about two weeks ago!" He told them. Emma looked a little puzzled.
"He did?" She asked. The truth was that she didn't really know what Troy was doing. All she knew was that he had gone somewhere to learn to cope with his new disability. He had left the team shortly after he'd had the lower half of his right leg amputated to save him from blood poisoning. He had promised that he would return, but for the most part, he hadn't dent any kind of message to them. For the first week or two she could understand that he didn't have anything to say. After a couple of months, she had to admit that it hurt.
"Yeah, he got back into town weeks ago." He told her. "So, Jordan, apparently you're the Red guy now!"
"In name only I assure you." Jordan told him. "Gia's the real team leader."
"I...I can't believe that this is the same group of kids I had around for Sunday lunch." He replied. "Um...I have something I need to do..."
"I'll help." Emma declared as she followed him into the kitchen. She saw him moving around some dishes, loading the dishwasher.
"I really wish you'd given me more notice, the place is a mess." He told her.
"Dad, it's fine, really it is." Emma assured him. He just looked to her, his hand caressing her cheek tenderly as he stared at her.
"I just...you have no idea how long I've wanted to see you." He told her.
"I've missed you too daddy." She replied, taking some dishes from him. "How about I help you with some of that?"
On hs ship, Prince Vekar was sitting on the edge of his bed, drinking heavily. He had seen what the Rangers could do, and if he had to admit it...he was scared. He now finally understood why the Earth had never been taken over.
He maintained a front when he was around his Council, but he now doubted if his forces could actually defeat them. He was lost, lost between his vows to the woman he loved, and to his father. If he was ever to step up and rule, he needed to bring Earth under his heel.
"Your Majesty, it is ready." One of his droids stated. He just nodded, finishing the bottle he was drinking, before throwing it aside, shattering it against the wall. He picked up another as he went to the hangar, finding Lavira with the Zord.
"It...it is magnificent." She told him. "But..."
"There is no 'but' in this matter." He interrupted her. "I cannot go on until I destroy them."
"Your Highness..."
"My father ALWAYS thought more of Vrak than he did of me!" He screamed. "It is only by the laws of succession that my big brother wasn't automatically the heir! If he was, my father would certainly have chosen him instead of me!"
"My love..."
"I promise you, I will do this." He told her. "Then I will make you my bride, and our children will rule the galaxy."
As he looked back to the Zord, a towering creation bearing his face on the chest, he smiled.
"Send Argus to me." He declared. "This time, the Rangers are FINISHED!"
Meanwhile, in his base, Vrak was keeping a close eye on things. He could see from the last battle that his younger brother's grip on power was becoming weaker by the day. He had eventually won over Professor Cog, but only both sides had almost destroyed each other.
He looked to Wayne, who was sitting by his son's bed, holding his hand.
"I need you to do something." Vrak told him. Wayne looked up to him, his eyes puffy, and red from his tears.
"You want more from me?" He asked.
"Gosei took your son's mind! You KNOW I can give it back to him!" Vrak barked. "I have one thing to ask of you in return."
He threw a photograph down in front of him. Wayne just looked at it in amazement.
"But...My Lord..."
"You know what must be done!" He snarled. "If you do this one thing, your son will be returned to you, stronger than ever."
"But...but...I can't..."
"He knew about all of this and did nothing!" Vrak reminded him. "He knew the power they had and he said nothing! He remained silent while you watched your son being shipped off to an asylum!"
He stepped closer, getting in his face.
"Do this, and I will give you back your son." He assured him. Wayne just nodded.
"I will do as you command" He responded.
Back at the Goodall place, the Rangers were making themselves at home. Although they all had families and loved ones to get back to, they had spent most of their free time back in the day at the Goodall place. It felt right to be here, and they lost track of time. Even when Louise came home and realised they were there, they had stayed because of the familiarity of the whole setting.
Orion made his way into the kitchen, purportedly to get more chips, but as he stood, leaning over the sink, Jake came in.
"Dude, the kitchen isn't that huge." He stated. "The chips are in the cupboard."
Orion didn't say anything though. As Jake got out the bag of chips, he looked to him.
"Orion...?"
"It's been a long time." He stated. "Back home, when someone had been gone a long time on a trading trip or something, we used to have a feast like this."
Jake just sighed.
"Orion..."
"I know, it's just one of the things I'll have to get used to." Orin told him, resting his hands on the window sill. "Eric reminds me a lot of my dad."
"Orion..."
"A rock fell on his head and he broke his neck." Orion told him. "He wasn't disabled or anything, but there was a lot of stuff he couldn't do anymore. He never taught me how to play..."
He wiped his eyes as he realised he was crying. He didn't want to look weak, but Jake came over, rubbing his hand over his shoulders.
"I cried every night for nearly three months when I realised my mom and dad wouldn't be there to make breakfast." He admitted.
"Orion..."
"That's the thing Jake, you, the others...as fucked up as the world is...you have something to fight for, I don't!" He stated. "Andresia's gone, it's done, it's finished!"
"Orion, there's something I need to tell you, and it's not going to be easy to hear." Jake said as he sat down. "You're not the only Andresian left."
"But..."
"I talked with Lavira when she was...into me." He responded. "Orion...some of your people were taken off the planet before it was nuked. They were sold as slaves."
"SLAVES?" Orion roared, glaring at him. "They were sold as SLAVES?"
"And do you know what else? It was your buddy Marv that did it!" Jake told him. "He brokered the sales!"
Orion grabbed Jake in a startlingly strong grip, holding his shirt and heaved him to his feet. He rushed him over to the wall, smashing him against it, caving in the plaster.
"Orion..."
"You knew this and you kept it from me because I was what? A useful weapon?" He roared, before throwing Jake to the ground. The Green Ranger could swear he felt something break as he was slammed into the ground, and given the mood Orion was in...he really couldn't be surprised.
"Ahckeashei Ashooumey fackwatch!" He exclaimed, standing over Jake. It was only as they heard a mechanical click, they realised someone else was there. Eric levelled his pistol at him.
"Back it down." Eric told him coldly. "Back it down and step away."
"My whole world..."
"Right now I don't really give a shit what happened to your home world." He replied. "You lay your hands on him again, I'll take your fucking head off!"
Orion realised the position he was in. He let go of Jake, at which Eric just jerked his head to the door. Jake left without another word, leaving him with Orion.
"Mr Goodall..."
"Orion, I served in the Special Forces. I've been in some of the worst places on Earth." He told him. "I've seen the very worst that humans can do to one another. It's something I'll never forget as long as I live."
He strode forward, getting right in Orion's face.
"You're Emma's friend, so I won't make a big deal out of this." He told him. "But if you threaten my daughter or anyone she cares about...dicky ticker or not...I will end you!"
Orion didn't know what to say. He was still angry with Jake, having heard what he had. He now knew that Jake knew his world, his people weren't extinct as he believed. Jake had been lying to him, someone he thought he could trust was lying to him.
As he looked to Eric though, he realised that there were others that care about his friends, those that would never abandon them. Orion held his hands up.
"I can't say what happened on your world, and I am sorry for your loss." Eric stated. "But if you threaten anyone under my roof again, you'll have me to answer to."
"I'm sorry Mr Goodall." Orion replied. "I won't disrespect your home again."
Eric just nodded, before backing away.
"There's some ice-cream in the freezer he told him. "Get it out would you?"
Orion just sheepishly got the tub of ice-cream out of the freezer.