As they walked toward the primary hanger Justin opened up a private comm channel with Fred. He also switched on the muffling ability of his helmet, ensuring that this conversation would not be overheard by Darkonda.

"Fred? Are you there?" he asked.

"Justin! What's up?" his friend's voice questioned.

"Dark Specter is sending me out to mend the family rift in the Royal House of Gadgetry and win the allegiance of Prince Gasket and his followers," the brown-haired teen related in a bleak tone, the enormity of the task before him still sinking in. "Gasket rules a neutral empire, and with his ships added to our force we can resume the offensive and finally finish this war."

A low whistle greeted his announcement. "That's a big job! What's the plan?"

"There isn't one," the Blue Psycho Ranger admitted bitterly.

"You don't have a plan?!"

"I wasn't given one; our supreme leader just told me to do it."

Four heartbeats of silence ensued, during which Darkonda and the Blue Psycho Ranger entered the hangar bay, Darkonda motioning to his small, sleek vessel. At his approach a ramp lowered in the rear of the ship.

"I could go with you," Fred's voice offered. "I bet together we could come up with something."

"No, he already said you and the other Psycho Rangers have to stay here, in case the Light Rangers try something," Justin told him regretfully as he boarded the ship. He'd far rather be traveling and working with Fred, given the choice, but he hadn't been given a choice, had he? That was why he couldn't continue to allow others to hold authority over him, not for any longer than he had to.

"He teamed me up with Darkonda, and I'm in his ship now," Justin explained sourly as the vessel lifted off and soared out the open bay door. "We'll be out of radio range soon, but I wanted to let you to know where I was, and to warn you not to let Tommy provoke you! I'm not sure how long this will take, but when I get back we'll deal with Tommy. Don't try anything alone!"

The seventeen year-old's main source of apprehension was his own mission, but fear for Fred occupied the secondary place. He couldn't do anything to protect Fred while he was gone; he could only counsel the Gold Psycho Ranger to be patient. If a confrontation erupted in his absence, even if Fred won, there was no way to know for sure what Dark Specter's reaction would be. Perhaps he would promote Fred to the new leader of the team. Or perhaps he would remove the Gold Psycho Ranger powers and then kill Fred.

The prospect sent an unfamiliar pang through the teenager. He couldn't afford to lose his most powerful ally, but more than that, he didn't want Fred to die! He wanted the other adolescent to be safe and happy. It was the strongest positive feeling he'd felt for another being since receiving his modified neural net, even stronger than the affection which had led him to spare his father.

"I'll try," Fred promised.

"Do or do not," Justin automatically shot back. "There is no try."

"Yes, Yoda," Fred solemnly answered.

Both boys cracked up and were still laughing when the distance grew too great for any further conversation.

Justin settled into the co-pilot's chair beside Darkonda, feeling lighter than he had since being given this terrible mission. Neither of his fears had been fully assuaged, but his and Fred's final words were a good way to part from his only friend.

ΩΩΩΩΩ

The six surviving Light Rangers were ready for departure. Bags had been packed, supplies had been gathered, Aquitan parents had been bid farewell, and now the six of them stood almost at attention before Billy, in the hangar containing the civilian merchant ship which would be used to take them to Phaedos. Their only remaining task was to say good-bye to their mentor.

"Thank you all," Billy told the six, each of whom was morphed, with their helmets tucked under their right arms. "For what you've done already the entire Galactic League owes you a debt of gratitude it can never repay. No one could have blamed you if you'd decided not to go for this, to instead wait and hope something else would come along, some other solution. But you didn't, because that's who you are. You're the ones who step up and try to make things right, the ones who willingly risk your own existence for the good of others. You're heroes, and it's been my privilege to know each and every one of you."

Billy stepped forward and to his right, stopping before Tideus.

"Try to keep how awesome you are in check," he joked. "It's bad for team unity to keep showing up your fellow Rangers."

Tideus grinned and two clasped hands.

Billy moved down to Cassie.

"Keep everyone's spirits up."

"That was Ashley's job," Cassie replied, a tremble in her voice.

"I know you can do it until she gets back. Sing for them; hearing you sing always raises my spirits."

Billy hugged her, a gesture she returned with her left arm, before stepping over to Delphine.

"You were the leader of the Aquitan Rangers when I first met you, and you still are. That's not just a coincidence or simple inertia; it's because you deserve to be the leader."

When Delpine dropped her eyes Billy put his right hand under her chin and gently tilted it up to face him.

"You do," he insisted in answer to her unspoken doubt, to the guilt and feelings of responsibility she carried with her for the sudden loss of four of her teammates. "Don't ever forget that."

After embracing his wife's best friend he moved to stand before Justin, Blue Robot Ranger, lab assistant, surrogate little brother and son.

"You've been a big help to me in the lab, Justin. You're half the reason the Robot Rangers' upgrades even exist. I hope once the war is won you'll still help me out?" he questioned through the lump in his throat.

"Course I will!" the apparent thirteen year-old replied indignantly, and Billy dropped to one knee to hug the android tight.

"Billy!" Justin hissed in embarrassment, his cheeks visibly reddening as his helmet tumbled out of his grasp and went clattering to the deck. "Not in front of everybody!"

Ignoring the squirming, knowing Justin could have easily thrown him off if the Ranger had truly wanted to, Billy rose and slid down to stand halfway between Aurico and T.J.

"Keep them safe. I know if anyone can do that, it's the two of you," Billy quietly told them.

T.J. nodded and promised, "We will," while Aurico simply held out his arms with a frown on his face.

"What, no hug for me?" he mourned pitifully.

Laughing Billy embraced Aurico before receiving a bone-crushing arm clasp from T.J. As he retreated Delphine unexpectedly took a step forward.

"We want to thank you as well, Billy, for all that you have done for us," she announced, continuing to speak right through the protests Billy attempted to voice. "You and Cestria helped to form the Galactic League of Light. You cut the Psycho Rangers' power in half when you arrived on Eltar, and then you rebuilt the Robot Rangers. You brought us together as one team and have done your best to guide us ever since. What hope the free peoples of this galaxy have has come as a result of your actions. Even this quest we are going on has begun because of your knowledge. No one could ever replace Zordon, it is true, but know that you have come as close as any life form could hope."

As one the Rangers donned their helmets, saluted Billy and turned to board the ship. Billy watched as it lifted into the upper airlock before passing into the ocean surrounding the city and shooting upward.

Then his wife was at his side, her left arm around his shoulders. As he turned to her the tears finally began to spill from his eyes.

"I-I don't know if I've sent them to their deaths," he confessed, the fear and doubt he'd been holding back in front of the Rangers' sake at last breaking free.

Cestria held her husband as they walked back toward their quarters, cursing the fates which had placed such a terribly crushing burden of responsibility upon his shoulders. He didn't deserve this! This was Zordon's role, not his. The two of them should have been able to live together in quiet happiness, their time with the Rangers nothing more than a treasured memory of the past. Instead her husband was striving with all of his might to "make up" for an exceedingly generous gift he'd given to his former teammates, and slowly consuming himself in the process.

As they entered their quarters Cestria wondered if perhaps now Billy might be able to rest, to catch up on the sleep he'd been missing for so long.

Then a gentle chime sounded, and an electronic voice intoned, "Billy, there is a message for you in the Power Chamber."

Turning in her arms Billy kissed her, a demonstration of his love for her. Then the door reopened and he was gone.

ΩΩΩΩΩ

The journey to Horath was a long one, and taking it with Darkonda only served to make it seem that much longer.

At the moment he was filling Justin in on what he had learned from the time he'd spent scouting out Prince Gasket's realm, but he wouldn't be Darkonda if that was all he was saying.

"Once I was in the form of a Cog I was able to map the layout of his palace," the alien mercenary explained, alluding to his shape-shifting ability, an admittedly invaluable power for any spy. "It's larger than the Dark Fortress and more heavily garrisoned. The map is in the ship computer file marked Horath. You know how to access that; you did it numerous times when we were capturing your friends."

He paused, titling his head to one side. "It's a shame you removed the visible signs of the implants I inserted into you. Gasket would probably receive you much better if you looked like you were at least partially robotic."

Justin ground his teeth in frustration, refusing to respond to the other's taunting and baiting. Darkonda delighted in cruelty and psychological games, and while Justin had made the mistake of verbally engaging with the creature in the past, he had never yet managed to come out on top. Darkonda held too many points of psychological advantage over him. He had been the one to capture Justin. He had even been the one, he had boasted, who had installed the former Turbo Ranger's first neural net. And during their team-up he had been the one to take point in subduing the other former Rangers.

Involuntarily the seventeen year-old found his mind drifting back to the day he had first encountered this foul being . . .

That Friday afternoon there hadn't been a cloud in sight as he hurried home from school. The sky had been a pure, beautiful blue, just the way he liked it most.

Maybe he and Dad could go fishing again this Saturday. They had been spending more time together since the move, exactly as Justin had hoped when he'd made the difficult decision to remain with his father rather than go off into space with his friends.

Seeing those absent friends again last month, knowing that they were okay (well, they'd been okay after he and Storm Blaster had rescued them, anyway) had been such a wonderful relief!

Of course he hadn't seen or heard from them since. He'd kind of thought they might call on him to help them again, especially now that he had regained a Blue Turbo Morpher from Storm Blaster, but so far . . . nothing. He'd told them he'd always be there if they needed him. Didn't they believe him?

Maybe they were just trying to give him time with his Dad. That was why he'd left the team in the first place, after all. And it was great, no doubt about that.

But there was still plenty of time left to fill. Dad's job often kept him out late, school work here was no more of a challenge than it had been at Angel Grove High, and his difficulty in making friends was apparently still intact, his past befriending of Nico notwithstanding.

If anything, it seemed even harder now to make friends than it had been. Even though the kids in his class were years older than he was, the things they liked to do and were concerned with seemed awfully, well, childish.

When you'd been out there saving people, making a real difference, it was hard to go back to just being a kid.

At least he was still able to e-mail Tommy. That helped some.

No car in the driveway, the young genius noted. Dad must have had to work late again tonight. Checking a sigh Justin took out his house key and let himself in, resigned to spending the rest of the evening alone.

Except he wasn't alone.

The alien which emerged from the living room to confront him was a biped with two eyes, but there any real resemblance to humanity ended. He wore a shell of crab-like organic armor which covered his legs, torso, and most of his upper body, but parted in a multi-fanged V-shaped maw to leave exposed the pectoral area of his chest, his neck and his head. He wore gauntlets of the same curious substance, while his visible skin was a bright red. On the top of his head were two horns, crowning rows of descending, steadily smaller horns which ended just above his forehead. In his hand he held a sword and at waist-height two chains dangled from the armor. His eyes were a glowing, pupil-less yellow.

His time as a Ranger had taught Justin not to judge beings by outward appearances. Lerigot had been pretty ugly too, and look what a good guy he had turned out to be! There was something about this alien, though, that set alarm bells ringing in his head. Somehow he knew this was not an ally of his friends come to request his help, a presentiment only confirmed by the first words spoken.

"Yet another child to abduct! Maybe I should open a sideline business, "Darkonda, experienced kidnapper of kiddies"!'

"You won't be kidnapping me!" Justin spat out defiantly. Twisting his left wrist he summoned his Turbo Morpher. Then he dropped his house key, reached into his pocket, and brought out his other Key.

"Shift into T-!" he began to cry, stopping in shock as his foe lashed out with the sword, opening up a deep cut on the bottom of his clenched fist and causing his hand to spasm open and drop the Key.

The pain he felt was insignificant compared to the pure shock which ripped through him. That almost never happened!

Knowing that to bend over and grab for the Key would only invite a blow to the back of the head, Justin dove to the alien's right, going into a somersault and smoothly regaining his feet in time to shoot a kick backward into his pursuing enemy.

His aim and execution was flawless, but the impact of his sneaker against that strange armor only made the alien burst into mocking laughter. In his non-morphed state he lacked the physical power to harm his attacker.

Oh, how he wished he still had the awesome super-strength he'd gained from that weird ant-bite!

He'd have to go for escape instead of battle. He raced through the hallway, toward the back door to the kitchen, only to have the alien appear directly in front of him!

He came to a halt just as the devil-like creature slammed a fist into his stomach. Doubling over in agony Justin gasped for breath, dearly missing now too the armor and toughness he enjoyed in his morphed state.

"The last child I kidnapped put up more of a fight-and she was a little girl!" the thing crowed triumphantly.

While he was cackling Justin shot his left hand toward what seemed to be his adversary's only weak points: his eyes.

His wrist was seized in an iron grip before his fingers could reach their target. The glow in those sickly yellow orbs brightened and two thin beams of light leapt forward, impacting the boy's chest and creating a concussive blast which knocked him sprawling.

"Enough fun," the thing sighed. He took one of the chains from his belt, casting it around Justin.

Then he electrified it.

ΩΩΩΩΩ

Justin winced at the mere memory. When he'd next awoken it had been three days later, and he had felt-different. He'd been greeted by Astronema and once she'd explained the plan to him, he'd agreed to go with Darkonda to kidnap other former Rangers to be changed and made into Psycho Rangers. Their first target had been the only old Ranger whose location he knew for certain: Tommy.

ΩΩΩΩΩ

When Tommy Oliver let himself into his dorm room after his meeting with his geology class study group, he realized at once that he had a surprise visitor. A familiar mop of brown hair was visible on the small figure sitting at his desk chair in his bedroom.

"Justin?!" he asked in disbelief.

The chair spun around and Justin Stewart leapt up, tearstains on his face. "Tommy, you've gotta help me! I didn't know who else I could turn to!" Justin wailed.

Quickly dropping his notebook and Geology text on the kitchen table, the college student made great speed toward his friend.

"What happened, Justin? What's wrong?" he asked, his tone betraying his deep concern.

At that time Tommy Oliver was the most skilled, experienced former Ranger in the entire galaxy. He was a third degree black belt and past holder of more different powers than any of his predecessors. A victorious veteran of literally hundreds of battles against the monsters of Rita Repulsa, Lord Zedd, King Mondo, and Divatox the Pirate, he was a natural and consummate leader, arguably the cornerstone of every Ranger team which had been privileged enough to have him. He was not just a Power Ranger; he was THE Power Ranger!

Yet when Justin viciously kicked him directly in the groin as he sprinted forward, he became nothing more than a man, curled up on his dorm room floor in terrible pain. He didn't feel Justin placing his left sneakered foot atop his dark-haired head in triumph, and he barely registered someone else wrenching his arms behind his back and securing them together somehow. The only thing which truly registered for him was the teleportation stream, and that was because it brought about a blissful absence of pain.

ΩΩΩΩΩ

It had been like that with all of the abductions, the Blue Psycho Ranger recalled with a scowl. In each case Darkonda had shifted into his form and had been the one who got to have all the fun of beating up on and subduing their targets, while his participation had been limited to restraining the battered young adults with one of the mercenary's chains afterwards. He had tried to argue otherwise, but Darkonda had smugly pointed out that even humans were likely to notice the multiple cybernetic implants protruding grotesquely from his skull and therefore become suspicious. Besides, he made a better Justin anyway, the alien had asserted infuriatingly.

"Not paying attention?" Darkonda's voice queried mockingly, rousing him from his rememberances. "Perhaps a flaw in that new neural net you designed is keeping you from focusing? I'd try to make the effort anyway if I were you. I don't think our illustrious Emperor would look kindly upon your failure here, would he?"

Grinding his teeth together once more, Justin reluctantly shifted his full attention back to his loathsome traveling companion.

ΩΩΩΩΩ

The message turned out to be of vital and terrifying importance.

Dark Specter was trying to bring Prince Gasket's kingdom onto his side! Calling up all of the data they had on Gasket's realm, Billy swiftly confirmed his worst fears. With Gasket's armada under the UAE banner, the balance of naval power would be completely reversed. The GLL would be outgunned in space, outmanned on the ground, and out of ways to counter impact of the Psycho Rangers.

None of his simulations or contingency plans had ever taken into account the idea of the United Alliance of Evil and Prince Gasket allying, since the possibility had seemed so remote. King Mondo and his first-constructed son had been estranged for centuries! It was only after Mondo's apparent destruction that Gasket had sought to claim the Machine Empire's throne, a claim he had renounced the instant he'd learned of his father's return.

Even now it apparently wasn't a done deal. Dark Specter had sent Darkonda and the Blue Psycho Ranger to try to form the alliance. Billy's first thought was to try to dispatch ships to ambush their spacecraft en route, like Admiral Yamamoto's plane had been shot down during World War II. There the intelligence had come as a result of codebreaking, whereas here it was thanks to the efforts of their spy, but otherwise the situation was much the same.

Unfortunately a quick check of the star charts showed that the path to Horath, Gasket's throne world, lay entirely within UAE space. He knew without asking that Admiral Telan would never get approval for such a costly, risky sortie from the Galactic League council, especially since Dark Specter could simply send someone else.

A preemptive attack on Gasket's kingdom was also completely out of the question. Their fleet was in no way strong enough to both strike at Gasket and defend the GLL planets from the UAE. Furthermore, making such an attack would only make the alliance a certainty, since it would then be a matter of sheer survival for the currently neutral despot.

He couldn't even call the Rangers back to try to deal with the situation. They needed to obtain the Great Power if they were to have any chance against the Psycho Rangers and their newest member. He dare not delay their quest any further, not with the fate of the galaxy at stake.

There had to be something he could do, though! He couldn't just let this happen, couldn't run the risk that the Blue Psycho Ranger could somehow bring father and son back together. This emissary had to be intercepted, but how? The only one who could even hope to move safely in UAE space was . . . their . . . agent.

He couldn't take out a Psycho Ranger alone, but maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't have to. In fact . . . yes, of course!

Billy typed out a terse reply, explaining in brief his plan and ordering their agent to make all due speed to Aquitar if he was willing to go along with the admittedly extremely dangerous scheme. It was a great risk, pulling out their best intelligence asset, but Billy had the authority to do so and it was difficult to imagine a piece of intelligence more vital to act upon than this one.

He'd hoped to spend the next couple of days working on bringing Ashley's spare body to full operational status, but now there was a different project taking precedence, one which had to be built as quickly as possible. He was certainly going to miss the help of Justin and Cestro on this, but he would get it done regardless; he had to. An opportunity like this, a chance to kill two birds with one stone, was unlikely to appear again. They needed to seize it with both hands, before it slipped away as so much else had during this war.

ΩΩΩΩΩ