Mission 14: Part 1

The keening sound of seagulls was heard from above as the Rangers of Nova Squad enjoyed a quiet recreation day in the West End of Atlantis Base. The heat of the summer season had begun to fade and give way to autumn, but on that particular Saturday, the weather was warm, sunny, and mild. They had decided to go out to the piers to get some fresh air and sunlight while doing a little fishing. At the edge of the floating city base's docks, the three male Rangers sat together with their legs hanging off the pier while holding fishing rods.

Bharata Timothy took in a deep breath and enjoyed the feel of the light on his face, "This is great isn't it? I used to love going fishing back home in Jakarta… just being outside, and getting to commune with the peace and quiet of the great outdoors."

"Or as much peace and quiet as can be had around here," Martin sighed as he looked up and heard the distant roar of a Kestral fighter plane taking off from the city's northern runways.

"That's okay," Erik chuckled as he reached into a cooler and tossed his two friends some cans of beer, "Fishing still gives us an excuse to sit around and drink in the mean time. A few more cans and we won't need to catch any fish to have fun today."

He glanced over behind them to where Erin, Ella, and Lucy were relaxing in their own little camp area. "How are you doing over there, girls?"

The two female Rangers had laid out on some beach towels in their swimsuits to do a little sunbathing and Erin lazily gave a thumbs up before rolling over to nap some more. "Save one or two of those cans for me, will you Dobermann?"

From where she sat, Ella turned and moved over to talk to Lucy. Unlike her fellow girls, the scientist had opted to stay dressed and read a magazine instead of sunbathing. "Hey Dr. Beckett, are you having fun?"

Lucy looked up and adjusted her glasses before giving a polite smile, "Oh… yeah. Thanks for inviting me to come along with the team today. This is really nice."

Ella looked down at the reading material Lucy was holding and raised a skeptical eyebrow, "Really? An engineering periodical? I thought we dragged you out of the lab to relax."

"This is relaxing," Lucy insisted as she folded up her scholarly magazine.

Ella pointed over to where the three boys were sitting laughing over a crude joke and taking another swing of beer. She shook her head with a smile, "That is relaxing. What you're doing is still studying."

Lucy sighed and leaned back on her towel, "So you're suggesting I should be reading some trendy fashion magazine or trashy celebrity tabloids instead?"

"Don't forget the smutty mags like Cosmopolitan if that's more to your taste," Erin chimed in idly while wearing a teasing smile, "One can never have too many sex tips or Top 20 lists about how to please your man."

Lucy rolled her eyes and gave a huff while Ella joined in laughing at her. The Pink Ranger put a hand on their friend's shoulder, "Relax Dr. B. We're just messing with you. We hardly ever see you out of the lab or off duty and we're curious what you do for fun."

Lucy shrugged, "Fun? Well… I don't know. When I was younger may Dad would always take me on camping trips in Northern California, but hiking and roughing it in the wild wasn't ever really my thing."

She pursed her lips thoughtfully, "I do like painting… oh, and listening to music too."

"Like what? Classical? Maybe Jazz?" Ella asked curiously.

Lucy curled up sheepishly, "Well… no. More like Country Pop music… but don't tell anyone?"

Ella and Erin exchanged a look and began to giggle. The Yellow Ranger shook her head "Who would have thought our prim and proper doctor is a wild cowgirl at heart? Does Martin know?"

Lucy's face turned a little red recalling a memory, "Umm… let's just say a few years back, he caught me singing and dancing in my lab late one night while my stereo was on. I swore him to secrecy under threat that his equipment might mysteriously malfunction."

Ella and Erin laughed again and the Pink Ranger smiled brightly, "Oh come on, that's nothing to be ashamed of. Next time the three of us are free we should have a girls night and catch a concert, or do Country Night at one of the West End bars."

At that moment, the five Rangers' morphers chimed and interrupted them. Erin gave a sour look and shrugged, "I guess girl's night will have to wait. Looks like we've got trouble."

Martin jumped to his feet and waved his team over, "Come on Rangers. Let's get a move on."

As the girls fell in alongside him and headed back to the city center, Bharata sighed and grudgingly collected the fishing rods while Erik grumbled and took one more beer with him from the cooler. He had a feeling he was going to need it.

Once they had returned to the Command Tower of Atlantis Base, the Nova Rangers cleaned up and reported still dressed in their casual clothes, but looking presentable enough. When they congregated in the tower's briefing room, they were met by General Caldwell and another young man wearing a blue UNAF dress uniform. He was very fair skinned with short black hair shaved close to his head. The expression on his face was a calm neutral one and he stood at disciplined attention and eyed the new arrivals curiously. On the shoulder of his uniform, the squad saw the emblem of a Union Jack flag identifying him as a soldier from the United Kingdom.

Caldwell cleared his throat and gestured for the Rangers to sit, "Everyone… I'm sorry to have called on your day off but there's a lot going on today. In light of the recent battle to liberate Dubai from the aliens, UNAF High Command has authorized the addition of a new Ranger to join your ranks. Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to Lance Corporal Jacob Massey from the British Army."

The Rangers sat staring in surprise while the young man gave a respectful salute, "Thank you General. It's a privilege to finally meet all of you."

The others nodded in stunned acknowledgement before Bharata furrowed his brow, "General… this is all so sudden. Why weren't we given more advance notice of this?"

Caldwell grimaced apologetically and handed a personnel file to Martin, "I'm afraid I don't have the answer Lieutenant. This was just as much of a surprise to me too. What I can tell you was that High Command decided we needed more help after what happened in the Middle East and they wanted to have Cpl. Massey experiment with a new modified Ranger morpher."

Lucy's eyes went wide in shock, "They're doing revisions on my work? Can High Command even do that? How do they know it's safe?"

Caldwell raised a hand to calm her, "Yes. Yes. And they don't. High Command is interested in improving the tech of the Ranger combat suits… like a version 2.0."

The General gestured to Lucy and turned to Jacob, "Corporal, this is Dr. Lucy Beckett, the daughter of Andrew Beckett and the creator of the modern Nova Ranger tech."

Jacob gave a polite nod in her direction, "Ma'am."

Caldwell then gestured to Martin as the Red Ranger stepped forward to address the new arrival, "Jacob, this is Captain Martin Sterling, the Red Ranger and commander of Nova Squad."

Jacob saluted again smartly, "It's an honor to meet you Captain. I've heard a lot about you and look forward to serving under your command."

"At ease Corporal," Martin said as he sized up the new Ranger. Jacob looked to be a little younger, maybe around the same age as Erik and Bharata. The Red Ranger glanced at the file and skimmed over the records, "Looks like you're another recon guy… special training as a sniper… impressive."

"Thank you Captain."

"Your file says that you saw some action in the first Xeno invasion?" Martin asked.

"Yes sir," Jacob replied, "My unit participated in the defense of London five years ago. I and one other soldier were the only survivors of my section in that battle."

Martin grimaced and nodded in sympathy, "I'm sorry Corporal. I know what it's like to lose teammates too, but I'm seeing you left active duty for a while and just came back from the reserves?"

Jacob flinched and nodded, "Yes sir. I think the UK wants to show that it's still a relevant power and a significant contributor to this new war effort so it's been more active on that front."

Martin put down the file on the desk, "I see. I'm sure you're a fine soldier Jacob, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way… but something still doesn't add up. Why is a junior non-commissioned officer being assigned to this team with a new untested morpher?"

"Perhaps I can answer that Captain," Caldwell said with a gentle nod toward Jacob, "Mister Massey here has some significant connections. His father is a Lt. Colonel still serving in the British Army. I've never met him, but his reputation is a good one and he's highly regarded. His wife, Mrs. Massey also holds some considerable political and diplomatic influence. She's a Secretary of the British Ambassador to the UN."

"I know it might sound like a case of nepotism here, sir… but it's not entirely," Jacob said carefully, "Believe me, I was just as surprised to have this assignment thrust upon me when I was reactivated but I'm willing to do my best and prove myself to this team."

Martin glanced to Erik for a second opinion before the Blue Ranger shrugged, "Sounds like the British government is angling for some high profile representation in the war. The Corporal said it himself. It sounds political and way above his own pay grade. If it's out of his hands, we can't exactly hold that against him."

"On the positive side, another recon guy couldn't hurt either," Bharata added hopefully.

Martin took a long thoughtful pause before giving a nod back to Jacob, "All right then Corporal. Welcome to the squad. You may not be an officer, but we'll work something out for you and get you oriented."

Caldwell tapped his finger and pressed a button activating a display window, "Perhaps the squad might be able to start some immediate on the job training for Corporal Massey?"

Ella glanced at the world map and gave a puzzled look, "General?"

Caldwell folded his hands, "It seems there's a developing situation in the East African republic of Djibouti. There's a small UNAF listening post based in that area and it's gone quiet of late. We have reason to believe that the Xeno Machina forces who escaped from their defeat in Dubai may have taken up new positions there. The local African governments are requesting assistance and the nearest naval task force is still several days away. I'd like Nova Squad to go in first and investigate the region for trouble."

Erin gave an uncomfortable look, "If the Comm. Sat. station there really has been disabled, then it's possible it's being jammed by the Xenos. That means we're not going to be able to teleport in directly either."

General Caldwell nodded and looked to the team, "As a precaution, we're going to teleport the squad a short distance from the Comm. Sat. station. Once there, you can assess the situation and report back to base. I think in a particular mission like this, Corporal Massey's talents may come in handy to you."

Lucy rose from her chair, "I'll get Julian and take up my station in Ops. Rangers, I'll be prepared to help you as soon as you're ready to go."

Martin nodded in thanks before turning to the newest Ranger and giving him a light elbow, "All right then Corporal… tally ho."

Meanwhile just outside the small coastal city of Tadjoura in Africa, the last of the Xeno scout teams returned to their rallying point near the location of the UNAF communication transmitter there. After having evacuated from their disastrous rout in the Arabian deserts, the remaining group of alien forces fled south down the coastline of Africa to find a safe haven. For now they had landed in a jungle area and took cover under the concealment of trees. The Xeno soldier Taldyr restlessly walked and kept watch as subordinate drones and clone soldiers worked to do maintenance on their battered transport ships. He knew they needed to land, but the idea of hiding and biding time did not sit well with him. His commander Decimus had been especially unnerved after the past battle and his leader's behavior had been worrying. Taldyr believed the commander's pride had been wounded and he sought revenge. Why else would he have ordered this extra patrol?

Taldyr entered the main loading bay of the largest transport ship where the other scouts and Commander Decimus had gathered for an impromptu meeting. He had not been told what the commander's plans had been, but he hoped he would get a better idea now. One of the Eidolon scouts bent to one knee before the commander and set up a map projector which showed a holographic display of the area's topography. The large monstrous commander who resembled a battle mech swiveled toward the scout, "Your team has finished its survey like I asked?"

"Yes Commander," the clone soldier said, "The small coastal town of Tadjoura lies just below this ridge line. If we were to attack, we would face little resistance. We found an unmanned Terran signal station located nearby and a team of our saboteurs are working to jam its signals."

Taldyr frowned, "Commander, I don't understand. Why are we going to attack this place? Even if we jam the Terran station, wouldn't they eventually be alerted?"

Decimus turned back to his second in command, "This place has strategic significance. This small city lies along a major shipping lane of human supplies in the area. We will raid their stores for supplies to repair our ships and our drones. When we do, we'll find a safe place to contact Warmaster Hellspont and coordinate a new attack. I want you to prepare your troops and organize a plan to launch an attack in tandem with me. Is that understood?"

Taldyr still felt this was a risky idea but he stayed quiet and nodded for fear of incurring his leader's unpredictable wrath, "Right away Commander."

Later that day, Nova Squad teleported in to the outskirts of Tadjoura dressed for field duty. From their vantage point, the Rangers could see it was a small port city with shipyards being a primary feature. The rest of the town still looked to be a bit run down and slummy, although the coastal houses and mosques built in the area had all been whitewashed. Erin looked about for a minute before wrinkling her nose, "Looks like a charming place. If the Xenos are slumming it here, I actually wouldn't be surprised."

"You're about three miles southeast from the UNAF nav point," Lucy chimed in over the radio, "I'll transmit navigation info to get you there and monitor your surroundings."

"Thanks Luce. We're on our way," Martin replied waving his team on, "Let's go everyone."

As the team moved up the edge of the coast and headed into a patch of thicker jungle terrain, they took it slow to watch their footing and not tire themselves out. Along the way, the other Rangers walked with their newest teammate and made introductions and chit chat to pass the time. While Martin led the way and busily hacked through the brush with a deactivated Nova Striker blade, Jacob walked nearby with a sniper rifle slung behind his back and a lit cigarette hanging out of his mouth. He offered one to his new teammates but they declined. Erik, ever the medical professional gave a sigh, "Are you sure you want to be smoking Jacob? Makes it kinda hard if you need to do some running in battle."

The sniper gave a smile and chuckled, "You can just call me Jake, sir. And there's no need to worry. I don't plan on having to get too close or run away from battle... not if I can help it."

He gave his rifle an affectionate pat and took another drag of his smoke. Bharata smiled and gave a thoughtful look, "You know, back with my old unit, the snipers in our recon team were all kinda serious and unfriendly guys. You don't really strike me as that way and its kinda refreshing."

Jake shrugged again, "I guess there's a certain kind of mystique to snipers. Everyone thinks we're all icy cold blooded killers but we still feel things, even when we do kill."

"Oh really? And what do you feel?" Erin asked in amusement.

Jake looked to the others and gave a dramatic pause before he smiled, "Rifle recoil."

The rest of the squad all broke out into a mild laugh as they continued plodding on through the brush. Erin gave Jake a little elbow, "Hey, the enlisted guy is pretty funny. If he can fight as well as he tells jokes, we may have to consider keeping him."

"Are you sure you're not just busting my chops because I'm English and you're Irish?" Jake retorted in amusement.

"It's a right of passage," Ella chimed in as she joined them, "You're the new guy so it's likely you're going to get dumped on a little."

"Don't forget the fact we all outrank him too," Erik added helpfully earning another round of laughs.

Martin stopped and turned around as he wiped some sweat from his brow, "Hey, will you guys try to keep it down a little? We're supposed to be keeping a low profile here."

Jake turned to Erin and whispered, "Is the Captain always such a serious tightass?"

"Only on missions," Erin reassured him, "He likes to try and come off as all grumpy and stern but he's actually kind of a softy underneath."

While they talked, Ella stepped forward and spoke in a coaxing pleading voice, "Martin, it's hot out here and we've been slogging through the jungle for a while. Can we please just take a short break for some water?"

The Red Ranger relented and gave a sigh, "All right, fine. Five minutes everyone."

As they sat down on some rocks and fallen logs, Ella reached into a ration pocket and removed a container. She sat down by Jake and offered him some of its contents, "Jake, would you like some homemade biscotti? I love to cook in my free time and always try to bring some extra treats to go with the team's field rations."

The other Rangers all began quickly gesturing and trying to wave him off while Ella's back was turned, "Really? Thanks Ella. That's very sweet of you. The squad sounds like it's really lucky to have that on hand."

"That's one way of putting it," Bharata muttered to Martin, "Speaking of right of passage..."

Jake took a piece of the Italian cookie stick and took a bite. Everyone watched as Jake shuddered and his face contorted for just a moment before he resumed his pleasant smile toward the Pink Ranger, "Thank you Ella... the biscotti... it was like nothing I've ever tasted before..."

"Great! I'm glad you like it too," she beamed, "Now, who else wants some?"

As Ella went to sit with Erin and Bharata, Erik handed the sputtering Jake a canteen of water while Martin came over to join him. Jake took a big swig and gasped once she was out of earshot, "Bloody hell, what did she put in there?"

Martin gave a sympathetic smile and clapped Jake on the back, "Best not to think about it. Consider that part of your initiation."

"Thanks... I think," Jake sighed, "Though I'm sure you'd hate to lose the team's Silver Ranger before a shot was even fired."

The Red Ranger stopped and looked at him, "Sorry... did you say Silver?"

Jake paused, "Yes sir. Is something wrong?"

Martin gave a conflicted look, "I'm sorry Corporal. It's just that it made me think for a moment..."

"About your former Ranger designation?" Jake asked.

"How did you..."

"It's no secret about what happened with the Alpha Rangers sir," Jake said, "Before I was given my new morpher, I was told that you had once been the Silver Ranger... Sterling Silver... that had been one of your nicknames, wasn't it?"

Martin's expression darkened and he shook it off before rising to his feet, "I think our five minutes are up. Let's get moving again."

Jake gave Erik a confused look and frowned, "What? Did I say something wrong?"

Before anyone else could speak, several loud booms were heard echoing in the air. Martin quickly reached for his comm, "Lucy? Status?"

"Unknown Captain," she responded quickly, "Telemetry is coming in now. I'm picking up explosions and fire. They're coming from Tadjoura... along with Xeno Machina bio signs."

A/N:
Special acknowledgement and thanks go to Stormasius for contributing the team's newest member Jake Massey. While it's not a typical Sixth Ranger introduction, this has not been a typical series either. No doubt he'll get his chance to show off some new powers and weaponry very soon.