Mission 7: Part 2

Lucy Beckett sat alone in her cold sterile lab late that evening when everyone else in the Engineering department had left for the day. The room was silent and as the young woman remained in place, she stared at the Prism Cannon sitting in front of her on the table. Its wiring and circuitry had been opened up again and gone over several times to work out bugs and repair the critical malfunctions that had nearly put the Rangers in danger earlier that day. The cannon was still far from workable and the combination of exhaustion and guilt over the day's events weighed heavily on her mind like an anchor. She took one more dejected glance over the gun before getting up and walking over to her desk. Using a key, she opened a side drawer and removed a bottle of vodka and placed it on her desk. She removed a shot glass and slowly poured some before sitting back in her chair, contemplating the bottle in front of her.

"I thought you don't drink," came the familiar voice of Martin as he entered the lab and startled Lucy. She sat upright and looked over in momentary surprise to see the Red Ranger walk in followed by the younger Yellow Ranger Erin Reilly.

"I don't," Lucy replied darkly as she sat back again and let the two Rangers pull up chairs across from her, "I was just thinking."

"About your father?" Martin asked quietly as Erin cast a curious look to her commander. Lucy grimaced and remained quiet with a nod.

"I heard about what happened earlier," Martin began slowly, "I wanted to see how you were holding up. If you were working, I brought Erin along to help translate any other Adventi schematics."

Lucy let out a sigh, "It's fine Martin. Thank you. I was working but this is something I need to do myself. I made a costly mistake today and I've got to fix it myself."

The Rangers sat quietly and glanced at the vodka bottle again before Martin cleared his throat, "You know… this is still unhealthy. You may not actually be drinking it, but you're still behaving like him right now."

Lucy scowled as a dark shadow of anger crossed her face, "Don't go there Martin."

Erin hesitantly watched the tense standoff before shifting uncomfortably in her seat, "Okay… I'm not sure what's going on here. Why did Dr. Beckett pour a shot if she's not going to drink it?"

"I do it to remind myself of what I shouldn't do… and to remind myself that I need to focus," Lucy replied with a firm and level tone.

The Yellow Ranger glanced to her superior officer for clarification, "Sir?"

"After the failed run of the Alpha Ranger tech several years ago, Lucy's dad Dr. Andrew Beckett… well, he took it hard and didn't cope well."

"What do you expect?" Lucy replied to Martin petulantly, "The weapons failed to work in battle. The other Rangers were all killed and you were hospitalized for months. Of course he blamed himself."

Erin remained quiet as Martin continued somberly, "Over the next couple years, Andrew Beckett fell apart. The guy who led the way with adapting Adventi technology and advancing humanity just lost it. He couldn't take the blame and scrutiny from the rest of the military and scientific community so he gave up and drank himself to death."

"I'm sorry…" Erin finally said, taken aback by such a grim somber story.

"Why should you be?" Lucy replied bitterly musing to herself, "Dad failed and ruined his good name. I was still in grad school at the time and he left me all by myself. I'm only glad my mom wasn't alive to be hurt like that too."

The Yellow Ranger cast a sympathetic look, "Doctor…"

"Now you understand," Lucy said grimly as she held up the shot glass and studied it, "About why I'm here. I'm working to atone for him and to make up for all of his mistakes… for all the people who died as a result of those failures. Everyone's looking at me the same way now... watching... wondering if the daughter of the great Andrew Beckett can even measure up to his legacy."

After a long pause, she gave another sardonic snort, "Besides, it's not like we women are always accepted into the big scientific circles and think tanks to begin with. As if I didn't already have enough to deal with at the time."

Erin nodded quietly in understanding, knowing how she had faced some similar discrimination in the field of academia before enlisting. Lucy tilted the glass in her hand, "That's why I refuse to touch this stuff… I'm not going to dull my mind to the very thing that killed my father. I'm not going to go down the same path."

Martin cleared his throat, "Maybe… but you shouldn't be too hard on yourself either. It's not going to do you a whole lot of good dwelling on every mistake that you've made."

"What about you Martin?" she snapped back irritably, "You're a squad commander now. You know about pain and loss and regret. Are you just supposed to forget about it when you make a mistake like this?"

"No, but you're supposed to learn from it," he answered with surprising calmness, "I've made mistakes too… ones that I regret. Hell, I'd be lying if I said I still didn't feel some remorse over not being able to do anything to save my old team, but since I've taken the position of command I've learned something important. If you blame yourself for every little thing and let it get to you, then you won't be able to keep a clear head and that's when you make bad decisions that really do get people killed."

"So what are you supposed do?" Lucy insisted as her mind still struggled for a logical answer to all this.

The two Rangers exchanged a look before Erin offered a solution, "You remember that we're a team and that we all make mistakes. It's up to the rest of us to adjust and help fix the error so that we can win."

Lucy thought it over for a long time before finally putting the glass down and closing the bottle. She handed it to the Red Ranger, "Captain… would you please do me a big favor and get rid of this? Maybe toss it into the ocean for me?"

"I'd be happy to Doctor," he said while taking the bottle with a gentle smile, "Erin?"

The younger Ranger took the filled shot glass and quickly threw the vodka back in her throat. The Red Ranger narrowed his eyes into a mildly reproving frown as she sheepishly grinned and exaggerated the lilt in her Irish accent. "Sorry sir. Tis me old Irish instincts kickin' in again. Can't let a perfectly good glass of booze go to waste now, can we?"

He rolled his eyes gently and pointed her toward the door while Lucy stood up, "Well… I've got one other little personal thing to take care of tonight. Martin? Erin? Thank you for being good friends."

The Red Ranger gave her a small salute and headed out the door, "Good night Luce. We'll see you at zero nine hundred tomorrow."

Once the two Rangers had left, the young engineer looked about her empty lab and rolled up the sleeves of her white blouse with a renewed sense of purpose. She had a lot of work to do.

The next morning, a bleary eyed Lucy walked into the large crowded mess hall of the base and gave a tired yawn. Unable to find any open spots at the edges of the room, she spotted Erik, Ella, and Bharata sitting together eating breakfast at a small table. She approached hesitantly with her plate of toast and fruit and cleared her throat, "Err… excuse me everyone. Is this seat taken?"

The Green Ranger gestured to an open seat while Erik took another moment to fuss over the sling that kept Ella's left arm in place. Lucy grimaced slightly and gave a guilty look toward the Pink Ranger, "So… how's the arm?"

"I'll be fine," Ella replied, "Thanks to our Ranger suits, I've only picked up a bad shoulder bruise. The doctors said I should be good in a couple weeks."

The scientist nodded and nibbled at her meal, "Well… I'm still sorry about that. I didn't mean for you to get hurt."

Ella shook her head gently, "It's not your fault Dr. B. These things happen in battle. We can't always predict what's going to happen or keep from getting injured."

"Well, it would make my job a little easier if you could," Erik quipped earning him a light elbow in the ribs.

Bharata gave a thoughtful look and took a sip of orange juice before trying to change the subject, "Any progress on repairing that Prism Cannon? Even if it's still kinda glitchy right now, it's a pretty awesome weapon."

Lucy sighed tiredly, "Honestly, I stayed up all last night trying to make repairs and modifications. I'd say it's probably ninety percent reliable but I'm going to need a little more time to perfect it."

"Fair enough, but I still think you should try to get a little sleep later," Erik noted in concern, "You look exhausted."

"I appreciate the concern Lieutenant, but I can rest when the imminent threat is over. That Xeno war machine hasn't resurfaced again in India, has it?"

"Not yet," the Green Ranger said, "I'm surprised that thing's been able to stay off our radars as long as it has."

"I'm even more surprised Dr. Beckett came to sit with us this morning," Ella chimed in as she finished a small bowl of granola and yogurt. "No offense Doc. Both you and Martin were kinda distant and cold when we all were getting acquainted at the start. We weren't sure if you guys liked us or anything because you'd always be sitting off on your own."

"No. It's not that," Lucy replied in slight discomfort, "I just… he spoke to me recently and said that I should maybe try to sit down with the team every once in a while. You guys seem to have had a positive effect on him and he figured it might be good for me too… to get out and socialize a little bit more."

Bharata nodded, "You two seem to have a lot of trust and you confide in each other quite a bit."

"He and I have known each other for many years. We've helped each other get through some really hard times, especially in the wake of the last Xeno invasion five years ago."

Before she could go on, a warning klaxon sounded which signaled another Xeno attack and spurred many of the base personnel to respond. As many people in the mess hall jumped to their feet, Erik gave the others a pointed look and took charge, "All right everyone. That's our cue so let's get to it!"

As expected, the Xeno spider-crab had returned to the city of Mumbai along with a fresh contingent of enemy Eidolon foot soldiers to back it up. While the Xeno troops began a fierce firefight with UN soldiers and local Indian defense forces, the Nova Rangers deployed out to stop the menacing war machine. From her station in Ops, Lucy monitored the flow of battle as the Eidolan platoons fell back and the giant spider crab advanced to try and break through the UN defense line. The human soldiers regrouped into heavy cover and waited fearfully until they saw the five Nova Rangers teleport in and charge forward to meet the enemy while brandishing their morphers.

"Energize!" they cried in unison as they emerged from a bright colorful nimbus of light in their sleek battle suits.

The giant mechanical spider-crab was not impressed and raised its claw-like pincers menacingly. Bharata eyed the huge monstrosity and scratched his chin, "You know what would come in handy right about now? A huge battle droid of our own so that we could squash that bug."

"I'm afraid we'll have to make due Bara," Martin answered tensely as he turned to his second in command, "Erik? Any good ideas?"

The Blue Ranger kept a level gaze, "Just one sir. I say we try the Prism Cannon again. It's not perfect, but Dr. B. said that she worked out most of the flaws this morning."

The Red Ranger paused in surprise, not only at the recommendation but unaware that Lucy had indeed pulled an all-nighter to try and help the Rangers be battle ready.

"It's worth a shot," Erin called, "You trust her too, don't you Captain?"

"With my life," he replied with a quick nod while deciding to trust the judgment of his teammates too, "All right. Atlantis Base, we're going to need to pull out the heavy artillery on this one."

"Understood Rangers. Prism Cannon is in transport now," General Caldwell responded from his own console, "Captain… are you really sure about this?"

"We need something strong enough to take that monster down and we don't have the luxury to be picky sir," Martin answered as the cannon was teleported to the battlefield and instantaneously assembled. The Rangers immediately gathered around it and braced themselves for loading and aiming while the Xeno spider-crab drew close. It hobbled on its two damaged legs but began to rear up threateningly.

"Wait! The cannon isn't fully calibrated yet," Lucy said in concern as she frantically worked to adjust the weapon's auto firing solutions that were linked to the Rangers' HUD's.

"Don't worry Doc. You're forgetting that we're a team," Erin smiled as she helped to shift the aim of the cannon off center, "We'll adapt and fix each others mistakes, remember?"

The other Rangers grinned and nodded as they made the proper adjustments, "We've got your back Dr. B." Erik said before giving Martin a nod, "The weapon is loaded and ready to fire, sir!"

"Fire!"

Lucy watched in astonishment as the Rangers fired the Prism Cannon and unleashed another supercharged burst of white energy at the giant Xeno war machine. Because the Rangers had been compensating and made adjustments for the recoil and imperfect targeting systems, the cannon shot was right on target this time and lanced through the spider-crab's defenses. The positron beam of white hot light struck the mechanical beast's armored head and tore a gaping hole through the back of its central thorax where its vital control systems were located.

Everyone watched as the giant mechanical spider crab shuddered and listed drunkenly from side to side before its systems died out completely. Secondary explosions tore through the monster's interior hull and blew out gaping holes from its thorax and abdomen. The Rangers and the combat operators at Atlantis Base all gave jubilant cheers as they watched the war machine's spider legs crumple and the central body collapse under its own weight. Moments later, it erupted into one more fireball signaling the death of the Xeno war machine on the ruined city streets.

Bharata gave Erin a high five while Erik excitedly pumped his fists in the air. The Red Nova Ranger tapped his comm with a quiet smile and looked up to the brightening skies, "Nova Squad to General Caldwell, the target has been neutralized. I repeat, the target has been neutralized."

Caldwell grinned in relief and tapped his comm bead, "Roger that Captain. Well done."

As Lucy rose from her station and slightly raised her own headset, she saw Caldwell give a proud nod and a thumbs up before a radio transmission came in to her from the Red Ranger, "Dr. Beckett? Thanks for the assist out there. We never doubted you."

As she put down her headset, the scientist did something which was a rare sight for her. She began to smile from ear to ear as she looked toward the bright warm redeeming light of sun streaming in through the tower windows.

Early the next evening, Lucy made her way back to the Sundog Tavern in the West End to attend an unusual social outing with the other Nova Rangers. They had wanted to treat her out for a night of fun and to show their appreciation for all her help in the recent battles too. As she made her way down the recreation district's parks and walkways which had built-in lights, she wondered what to expect. Ever since she was in college, she had never been much for parties preferring quiet nights in to study or to work on projects in the lab. To go out socializing in casual clothes was kind of a rare occurrence for her. Tonight, she had decided on a pair of dark jeans, a slim white turtleneck, and a stylish gray jacket.

When she reached the busy tavern, she found the other Rangers already there and dressed down to their own casual civvies as well. Again, it was a bit jarring to see the Rangers swapping their military duty uniforms for blue jeans and sporty casual clothes instead. Erik was the first to greet her near the counter as he raised a mug of pilsner beer, "Hey! The woman of the hour. Glad you could make it Dr. B!"

Bharata got up from his seat and offered it to her gallantly as she approached, "Come on in. We saved you a seat."

She gave a sheepish look, unsure of what to do or say as the others came to crowd around and greet her, "Umm... thanks everyone. I wasn't expecting any kind of special treatment here tonight. I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," Martin said with a gentle smile as he put his hands reassuringly on her shoulders, "Just let these four jokers do their thing and laugh every once in a while to make them think they're actually funny."

"Ohh, you're hysterical Captain," Ella retorted as she gently bumped him aside with her hip and patted Lucy's shoulder with her good arm which wasn't in a sling, "Maybe you could start by sitting with Erin and I for a little bit of girl talk. Or maybe you could tell us where you got your great fashion sense? I'm really liking that preppy ensemble you've got going on tonight."

"Really? You do?" Lucy asked in surprise.

"Of course!" Ella grinned proudly, "I'm Italian remember? We pride ourselves on dressing well!"

The Yellow Ranger cut in and put a friendly arm over Ella's shoulders, "Hey Catalano! Before we do that, what do you say I buy Dr. Beckett a soft drink with some of the poker money that I won from Captain Sterling this week?

Martin gave the younger Ranger a playful shove and the others broke out into another round of laughter. As she sat and listened to the team banter some more, Lucy tried to take in the sight of the other Rangers acting so easy and relaxed outside of their military duties. The chemistry of this Ranger team had really begun to come together and there seemed to be something special there. As she watched Martin joke some more with Erik and then get gently razzed again by the girls, Lucy couldn't help but think about how the team had slowly begun to change him for the better.

Maybe she should try to follow her friend's example and make a few changes for the better too. Before this new campaign against the Xenos, it had been a bit lonely and dreary before the coming of the other Rangers. If having the opportunity to laugh and smile again in the company of friends was going to be a part of this new start... well, it wasn't a bad thing. If Dr. Beckett was going to be totally honest with herself, she would admit that moments like this were something that made all the fighting and the long hours in the lab all the more worthwhile.