Mission 2: Part 1
A cloud of steam erupted from some pipes as Warmaster Hellspont made his way on a routine inspection of his great flagship. The bio-mechanically enhanced general in dark armor reached the bridge where he saw several organically assimilated drones busily carrying out their repair duties over consoles and computer stations. The place was dimly lit as power was still being conserved during reconstruction. At the behest of the Supreme Overlord Phaeton, the crippled spacecraft had landed on the far side of the moon and was now being converted into a massive base from which the Xeno-Machina aliens were to launch future attacks on planet Earth.
The general brought up a display screen in the dim bridge to directly communicate with the Xeno Overlord whose massive body and consciousness was directly fused into the bowels of the ship, "Lord Phaeton... repairs and modifications are going according to plan. I estimate the base should begin to be fully functional in another week."
"Very good Hellspont. Despite the results of the last fleet battle, you've proven yourself competent enough for me to retain you," the deep voice of the cybernetic being answered as it reverberated through the entire bridge.
Hellspont winced, having been reminded of his failure to eradicate the Terran fleet and breach their defenses. Because of that, the renewed war between Xeno-Machina and the Terrans of Earth were now stuck in a tense stalemate. He took a breath and kept a level tone, "What shall we do in the meantime my lord? The orbital defenses of the Terrans are still a formidable threat to our warships. We don't have enough power or resources to launch another direct attack right now."
"Until then, we will rely on subterfuge and attrition," Phaeton replied, "I have already sent for a field commander to be deployed in a transport pod... a specialist in chemical warfare designated Cyanode. With these sorties, we can test the humans' defenses and gather more information about them for future study. I am especially interested in these Nova Rangers who appeared in the fighting."
The Warmaster grimaced and gave a reluctant nod knowing there was nothing more he could do. "As you wish Lord Phaeton. I'll have the next attack pod prepped for launch within the hour."
He cut the connection and sat down in his command chair, all while overseeing the repairs. This wasn't the kind of campaign he'd originally hoped he'd be running but he had to try and handle the situation as best as he could. For now, there was a lot to do and many more battles to plan for.
Lt. Erik Dobermann Jr. strolled through the bright well lit halls of Atlantis Base, occasionally glancing out the large windows to admire the view of the Atlantic Ocean surrounding the outpost city. It had been nearly two weeks since the terrifying return of the Xeno-Machina aliens and things had just begun to settle again in the aftermath. The combined UN space fleet had been nearly wiped out in the battle above the planet had it not been for the intervention of the newly formed Power Rangers of Nova Squadron.
With the planet's orbital defense guns intact, the alien fleet had been forced to withdraw back to the dark side of the Earth's moon. For now, a tense standoff had begun as the UN defense forces watched and waited for any sign of renewed alien activity. Despite the harrowing ordeal of turning back the first wave, the people of Earth had to do their best to prepare for any future danger while trying to carry on again with some sense of normalcy.
On that particular day, Erik was headed out toward the western quarter of Atlantis which served as an unofficial commercial and entertainment district of the city. Numerous stores, restaurants, parks, and entertainment venues had been allowed to sprout up in the more pedestrian friendly city section allowing for a place where the base personnel could relax and feel a little more at home during their off hours. The Blue Nova Ranger zipped up his duty jacket and pondered which stores he should visit. He need to brainstorm some ideas for a very special gift for a very special person.
As he passed through the base's bustling central atrium to reach the platform of the monorail transport juncture, he came upon his fellow Ranger, Ella Catalano hurrying to catch up with him. The young Italian woman carried a small plastic container with her as she waved her tall German comrade down, "Erik! There you are! Do you have a minute? I need your help."
He gave a good natured smile to the Pink Ranger and shrugged, "Sure. What's up Ella?"
"I want you to try some of this homemade cannoli that I made myself."
Erik curiously took one of the tube shaped Italian pastries from the container and examined it, "Cannoli huh? Feeling a little homesick?"
Ella gave a sheepish shrug and glanced away, "Actually, I was planning on giving it to Captain Sterling. He's off flying a routine patrol and getting some practice in with the new fighter jets. I was gonna surprise him when he returned."
"Ah... it's cute that you have a little crush on him and all, but I'm sure you know it's probably not a good idea to try and hook up with those in your chain of command... especially your commanding officer, right?" Erik replied carefully. As the squad's executive officer and second in command, he felt he had to at least remind her of protocol.
Ella bit her lip and huffed, "I know that! I just figured I'd do the next best thing in my position… which is just something nice."
Erik gave a patient sigh and rolled his eyes before taking a bite of the pastry. He immediately wished that he hadn't as a horrible sensation assaulted his tastebuds. What the hell did she put in that cannoli anyway? It was as if he had put a sweaty gym sock in his mouth after training exercises. He bravely chewed the pastry and swallowed it with great effort, suppressing his gag reflex. Maybe he was wrong after all. Maybe she was inadvertently planning to "assassinate" their commander instead.
"Oh... I guess it could use a little more sugar in the ricotta filling, but it's fine," Erik said diplomatically as he sucked in some air, "I've gotta get going now. I'm on my way to the West End."
"Oh? Are you planning to blow off some steam?" Ella asked curiously.
Erik shook his head and gave a wave as he walked toward the next monorail as it arrived, "Nope. Going shopping. It's a special gift for a special girl."
"Good luck!" Ella waved cheerfully as Erik boarded the small train car and headed off away from the platform. She eyed her canolli again and gave a hopeful smile, "And good luck to you too."
Meanwhile, Lt. Erin Reilly ambled toward the halls of the base until she reached the doors of the R&D lab. She keyed in her security clearance code and hesitantly entered to find Dr. Lucy Beckett by herself working in one of the lab rooms by herself. A few other lab techs and scientists milled about down the glass hallways busy with their own projects and didn't pay her any mind. The Yellow Nova Ranger walked into the central lab and saw Lucy standing over a table with several recovered pieces of equipment and remains of the Xeno Machina forces they had recently battled on the streets of Paris.
"Err... excuse me Dr. Beckett?" she asked cautiously.
The young bespectacled woman in the labcoat stiffened up in surprise before sighing in relief, "Oh... Lt. Reilly. You startled me."
"Sorry," Erin replied sheepishly as she reached the lab table, "I uh... came by hoping I could maybe lend you a hand with this stuff."
Lucy gave the Irish woman a curious glance before getting back to scanning what looked to be an armored shoulder plate of a Xeno warrior, "I didn't know you had an interest in the engineering side of things. I thought you were a linguist."
"That's true Doc. I was hoping I could take a closer look at some of the things recovered from the last battle. I thought I recognized some of the symbols on the Xenos' gear."
Lucy raised an eyebrow and stopped what she was doing. She led Erin across the room where a pile of other unsorted items lay scattered on a table. "Help yourself. We haven't catalogued this stuff yet and probably won't get to it for a while, though to be honest... I'd be really surprised if you recognized anything in the alien writing."
Erin nodded and began rummaging through the mess, "I know it sounds weird Doc, but during the battle, I thought I saw some possible similarities and patterns to that of the Adventi race. I had been doing a lot of research on that sort of thing before I transferred here."
"Hmm, I wonder why that would be. A connection between the Xenos and the Adventi?" Lucy mused before giving a tired shrug, "If it makes you feel any better, I've been coming across some strange findings myself after the last battle. I had gotten some preliminary data from some of the medical researchers here when they did autopsies of some of the alien soldiers."
Erin looked up curiously as Lucy continued, "It seems those new Xeno soldiers are much more organic than the regular drone soldiers that attacked five years ago. The troops now are much more human... or rather, superhuman."
"Like... genetically modified troops?" Erin asked in shock.
"Something like that. They seem to be genetically close to us humans, but it's too early to draw any conclusions yet," Lucy nodded with a furrowed brow, "Either way, they seemed to be much more flexible and adaptable on the battlefield... and the gear I was going over suggests they've gotten an upgrade too. Their energy weapons pack a bigger punch and their armor is better too."
The Yellow Ranger gulped, "That sounds serious. Are you going to tell Captain Sterling and General Caldwell?"
"Once I get time to prepare an official report," Lucy sighed before being interrupted by a comm link transmission. It was General Caldwell.
"Lt. Reilly? Dr. Beckett? I need to see you two in the Command Tower right away."
"On our way," Erin replied giving a serious nod toward Lucy before both young women hurried out of the lab and made their way toward the central spire at the heart of the city.
When Erin and Lucy arrived in the Command Center of Atlantis base, they found General Caldwell studying his holographic tactical map while the other Rangers waited patiently. The young Indonesian Ranger Bharata Timothy was wearing his fatigues suggesting he had been working out while Captain Martin Sterling was dressed in a fighter pilot's jumpsuit. Most likely he'd just returned from flight patrol. Beside them, Erik and Ella waited in their normal duty uniforms. The Blue Ranger was looking a bit disappointed while the Pink Ranger held a plastic container of food in her hands.
As they rejoined the team, Caldwell turned and gave a curt nod, "All right everyone. We've got another little situation brewing. It seems the Xenos are launching another raid."
"How can that be sir? Wouldn't the orbital guns just shoot them out of the sky before they came close?" Bharata asked curiously.
The older general nodded, "Normally yes... however, it seems the enemy is using different tactics to slip past our defenses."
He gestured to the holographic map showing a view of the planet's orbital horizon, "Our guns are calibrated to lock onto larger warships and projectiles but the Xenos have launched a smaller transport pod that we cannot lock onto. Most likely they're using an electromagnetic cloaking field to jam our sensors until it's too late."
The map showed a fiery streak enter low orbit and fall toward the European continent, "We've just picked up an anomaly entering the atmosphere and headed toward the surface."
"Where are they headed General?" Ella asked.
Caldwell paced the room, "As best as we gather, it seems the Xeno spacecraft has crash landed on the outskirts of Prague in the Czech Republic. A company of U.N.A.F. troops has already been deployed to secure the area. I want Nova Squad to follow up and put down any potential threat."
Martin gave a smart salute and nodded toward his team, "Understood General. We'll see to it. Everyone, let's grab our gear and head for the transit platform."
"I'll be here in Ops standing by. Good luck Rangers," Lucy added as she gave the departing Rangers a wave.
After the Nova Rangers had left the room, General Caldwell glanced over and caught sight of the container of dessert that Ella had left behind on a nearby table. As she took a seat at her station, Lucy looked over and raised an eyebrow, "General? Is something wrong?"
"Not at all doctor," Caldwell smiled as he held up a piece of the pastry and gave it a once over, "I believe I just found myself some canolli."
Within the hour, the five Rangers of Nova Squad had donned their field equipment and gathered in the transporter room. After forming up on the base's primary transit platform, the squad was teleported away via the network of special satellites orbiting the planet. In a flash of light, the five young men and women found themselves instantly transported to the large green courtyard gardens of an old baroque style palace. Along one side of the horizon, the team could make out a tall forested hill with an observation tower in the distance while on the other side of the skyline was another tall hill with an old castle perched atop it.
"Rangers... welcome to the Mala Strana District of Prague," Lucy said as her voice came in over their comm link. "I've dropped you on the grounds of Wallenstein Palace which shouldn't be far from the crash site of the Xeno drop pod. I'm transmitting GPS data now."
Martin checked a handheld nav device and pointed toward the forested hill at the other end of the district, "All right, it looks like UN forces are converging on Petrin Hill. Erik and Bharata, I want you two to stay around here and keep an eye on the civilians. Erin and Ella, you're with me."
As the Red, Yellow, and Pink Rangers hurried off to rendevous with the allied forces, Erik and Bharata turned and left the gardens to patrol the cobblestone streets of the quiet district. They strolled past several shops while groups of local citizens cast uneasy looks toward Petrin Hill and gave the two Rangers a wide berth. After all, it wasn't every day they saw armed soldiers walking the streets. Still, the sights and sounds of the old historic city more than made up for it. While many cities had changed and taken on especially modern architecture, infrastructure, and aesthetics... several places like Prague in Eastern Europe insisted on retaining their older medieval heritage instead.
"Well sir, what now?" Bharata asked his older comrade.
Erik glanced around the row of shops and shrugged, "Well Bara, we'll still keep an eye out for trouble... but maybe we could do a little gift shopping here too. I didn't get a chance back at Atlantis Base earlier. Come on."
Bharata raised a curious eyebrow and followed his senior officer, "Ella did make a passing comment about you getting something for a girl."
"The most important one in my life," Erik nodded as they passed by a few shop windows, "It's for her birthday."
"Did you have anything particular in mind?" the Green Ranger asked as he idly fiddled with his assault rifle.
Erik stopped in front of a toy store where he saw a young man walk out with a large stuffed animal poking out of a box. "She likes cute things... I think I just got an idea."
"Huh... I'd probably opt for flowers or jewelry, but whatever you say..."
The two Rangers were immediately cut off as a loud explosion was heard nearby. The Blue and Green Rangers tensed up and saw smoke rising down the block along with a hazy cloud of yellow green gas that began to spread. As the two rushed to respond against the small crowd of fleeing civilians, Bharata radioed Martin, "Captain, we've got a situation here. Looks like a possible Xeno."
"Roger that Lieutenant. We're coming to help," the Red Ranger answered over the comm.
Erik led the way until they came to a bend in the street where the haze was markedly thicker and more concentrated. The strong horrible smell assaulted their senses and forced them to back off while coughing and choking. Despite the brief exposure to the gas, their eyes, nose, and throat felt a slight burning sensation.
"Ugh... what is this stuff? It smells horrible and I can barely breathe," the Green Ranger gagged.
Erik covered his mouth and looked in horror to see scores of civilians collapsed on the ground, barely breathing, "Poison gas maybe? We've got to get these civvies clear before they choke to death."
Over their comm, Lucy radioed in to him, "Lt. Dobermann, the rebreathers on your Ranger suits should be enough to protect you from this gas."
After the two swiftly morphed, they charged into the fog and began carrying several civilians to safety. Bharata growled while Erik stopped to take a moment and examine them, "That's pretty low if the Xenos are going to use chemical warfare on us now."
Erik nodded as he finished checking the pulse of one of the victims. To his dismay, it was the young man who had walked out of the toy store carrying the stuffed animal. He was in bad shape and looked to be unconscious, but there was nothing more to be done at the moment. "Let's find out where that toxic gas is coming from and stop it."
"Uh sir... I don't think we'll have to look very far. I think it found us," Bharata replied as he pulled his blaster pistol and gestured to the dark silhouette of a large monstrous form emerging from the gas. Whatever it was, it certainly didn't come in peace.
Erik watched with trepidation as a hulking robotic creature with thick twin smoke stacks jutting out of its shoulders approached. As the Xeno stomped down the cobblestone street and smashed a parked car aside, more poisonous fumes radiated from its exhaust pipes. In a digitized voice, the creature spoke, "Nova Rangers... stand down or be eradicated with the rest of this city."
From his flank, several Xeno foot soldiers emerged from the poisonous fog with enhanced air filters on their helmets as they lined up and readied their own firearms.
"Oh... this is not good at all," Bharata muttered as he gripped his pistol and tried to look for some nearby cover.
Erik slowly drew his Nova Striker energy blade and ignited it while facing down the Xeno commander, "Sorry, I'm new around here. I don't think I quite speak your language."
The robotic battle droid leveled its arms where gas nozzles where affixed to the wrists. Clearly it didn't understand the sarcasm behind Erik's retort, "Failure to comply will result in your termination."
Bharata gulped and readied to fire his gun against the Xeno foot soldiers, "You aren't actually gonna try and take this guy on, are you Erik?"
The Blue Ranger gripped his blade and nodded, "If we don't these people will die. Now, let's help this Xeno kick his smoking habit. What do you say? Cover me!"
Bharata opened fire with his blaster while the Xeno troops returned with their own volley. Erik Dobermann charged forward with his vibro blade and deflected a few enemy shots before leaping high to set up a devastating downward slash. As he did the battle droid Cyanode raised its nozzle arms and expelled another cloud of toxic gas hoping that it would be enough to halt the blue Ranger.
As the superheated energy blade met the stream of gas, both combatants were blinded in a fiery explosion, sweeping aside the enemy foot soldiers and sending a forceful shockwave down the entire block. At that moment, it was anyone's guess what had happened and who exactly was left standing.