Mission 15: Part 3
The lone droning sound of jet engines filled the night air as a small flight of UNAF gunships cruised low over the jungles of Sumatra. As they made their final approach toward the volcanic Mount Sinabung, they leveled off over a nearby village to aid in the evacuation. While the airships touched down, three giant craft joined in the effort and rolled on to the scene from the south end of the island where they had been transported in.
Civilians and soldiers alike could only stop and stare in awe as a giant tank-like vehicle rolled up the path and parked at the edge of the town. Its large treads made the ground rumble and shake as it came to a halt before being joined by a second giant vehicle. Ella sat in the cockpit of the tank zord and gave a wave as Erik steered the amphibious armor zord into position nearby. Upon stopping, they opened their large cargo hatches and Bharata Timothy emerged from one of them.
A few UN marines disembarked from the gun ships and gathered around Bharata who was now the ranking officer on the ground. The Green Ranger surveyed the town and noticed in dismay that the chain of aftershock earthquakes must have caused more damage than he thought. Several sections of the populated area had been severely damaged and some smaller buildings and homes lay in rubble. He waved the troops together and gestured toward the settlements, "All right marines! Form up! Our job here is two-fold. Squads One through Three will coordinate civilian evac to the airships and zords. Squads Four through Six are with me to search for survivors and injured. Move out!"
While the rescue crews got to work, Bharata cast a worried glance up toward the volcano in the near horizon and saw it belching ominous clouds of dark smoke. He tapped his comm, "Captain, how is it looking up there?"
Up in the skies, Martin sat at the controls to the sky zord and flew it in a cautious holding pattern so as not to get too close to the volcano. "Could be better Bara. Sinabung is looking kinda angry right now so you might want to hustle up with the evac. I'll be circling around to take readings and look out for any stragglers."
Bharata nodded as he made his way through some rubble in the town street, "Understood. Timothy out."
While Bharata and the rescue teams made their way through the ruins, a foul burning smell began to permeate the area. That was when he heard Lucy 's voice cut in over the comm, "Bharata, sensors are picking up increasing levels of CO2 gas and sulfur coming the volcano. Now might be a good time to put on some rebreathers."
"Thanks Dr. Beckett. Will do," he answered as he and the other troops with him pulled out small futuristic rebreathers to place over their mouths.
He led them deeper into the rubble to survey the damage and continue to look for any other trapped civilians, "Stay sharp marines. We don't have a lot of time to spare."
Moments later, he heard a squad sergeant call out, "Sir! Over here! I've found some people!"
The troops hurried over and found a small tenement building half caved in. From the edge of a ground floor unit, Bharata could see the walls had collapsed but it left a narrow pocket where a family had survived being crushed. The hole was just wide enough to let in some air and the father frantically waved his arm from the crevice, shouting for help.
The Green Ranger rushed over and took the man's hand speaking with a reassuring tone in native Indonesian, "Hold on sir. We're going to get you and your family to safety, but you have to stay calm."
He surveyed the wreckage, "Sergeant, do you think you and your people can dig a clear path without caving the place in?"
The sergeant grimaced, "It might be risky sir. We'll need some people holding this section of the wall steady while we do it."
"Let me deal with that part. You and your squad get to it," Bharata said as he quickly morphed into his Ranger suit. He braced himself and used his enhanced strength to begin securing an avenue for the soldiers to dig.
"You heard the Lieutenant! Shovels out, on the double!" the sergeant barked as the UNAF rescuers began furiously digging and clearing debris.
While Bharata continued to bear the weight and exert himself, he let his mind drift to try and mitigate the soreness. He thought about his mentor Basuki and the lessons he taught him, about how to still his mind and how to focus. Right now his words about mind over matter couldn't be more important. His mind wandered from Basuki to Anisa and about how upset she seemed when he had to run off and come here. He couldn't help but feel the same way he did when he first just left to join in the war effort. But things were different now. He was different now. He was stronger, more focused, and more confident than he had been when he first left his homeland and he was determined to put all that to use to serve his country once again.
As the digging soldiers made progress, Bharata felt the collapsed wall shift somewhat but his blood froze when he saw what happened next. To the shock and horror of everyone at the base of the volcano, Mount Sinabung suddenly erupted spraying a thick geyser of smoke and molten lava high into the air. The radio chatter immediately sounded in a fevered pitch as Ella radioed her own team, "Guys… did you just see that? We've gotta pick up the pace."
From the sensors in his zord, Erik studied the screens and watched bubbling gouts of lava begin to pour out of the top of the mountain, "Ella, we've got to finish loading up the civilians… like really soon. It's looking like we might have some potential rivers of lava headed down the slopes toward us."
Up above, Martin steered the flying zord back to give the volcano even more space, "All UNAF pilots, finish loading and get those Marauders clear. The smoke and fiery debris up here is only going to get more dangerous."
Back at the base camp, the sergeants of squads One through Three radioed in an all clear signal, "Rangers, everyone is loaded up into the zords and gunships. We're good to go."
"What about Bara? He and his teams are still out there," Ella protested in concern.
"I'll look after him," the Red Ranger radioed in, "You and Erik have orders to get clear. Those civilians you're carrying are priority one."
"You heard the Captain, Ella. Let's get the hell out of here," Erik agreed in a grim tone as he began driving his zord clear and rolling over a few trees that got in the way.
The Pink Ranger wrinkled her features in concern for her friends before she reluctantly put her own zord in reverse and began to drive her passengers further inland to safety.
Further inside the ruined town, Bharata and his men struggled to free the trapped family from the rubble of the building. Despite their hurried pace, the progress was slow going. While Bharata continued to strain under the weight that he supported, the sergeant of Squad Four took out his binoculars and eyed the nearby volcano with dread. "Lieutenant Timothy, those lava flows are coming down the hillside fast. We're going to be cutting it really close."
Bharata grunted as the soldiers succeeded in freeing the mother of the family first, "Keep at it. I'll try to get us some help."
He switched comms and radioed the Red Ranger, "Martin, we've got a lava flow headed this way and my men need emergency extraction. Do you think you can give us a hand?"
From the near distance, he could see the large sky zord cruise toward them from above. Despite its size and power, it had to descend carefully amid the area while avoiding the flying volcanic debris of the mountain. He heard Martin reply through clenched teeth, "I'll do my best Bara, but we have to be careful. I'm not exactly used to flying such a big clunky tub like this either."
While the lava continued to pour down the mountainside, two more members of the family of four were pulled from the collapsed building. While they worked to save the last person which was a young boy, some of the other soldiers administered first-aid to the other victims. Minutes ticked by as the soldiers watched the sky zord circle around them and descend slowly and carefully into the ruins of a plaza. Martin's voice came through over the comms, "Did someone call for a taxi?'
Bharata gave a sigh of relief as he watched the large sky zord hover and drop its rear hatch allowing for a ramp up into the hold. Seeing that the lava rivers were fast approaching, Bharata pushed aside part of the debris he was holding up. "Sergeant, get the survivors and the rest of the troops back on that zord."
The enlisted man blinked in surprise, "But sir, there's still one more civilian... the boy."
"I'll get him. Now go!" Bharata insisted. While the others scrambled to safety aboard the sky zord, the Green Ranger pushed through the last of the rubble to free a small frightened boy who had been pinned under some rocks. It looked like the boy's leg was broken and his face was covered in dirt.
As Bharata freed the boy and scooped him up, he pushed aside the rubble toward safety, "Hang on. Everything is going to be okay."
No sooner did he reach the hole was when the volcano belched a great cloud of fire and flames spitting golf ball sized brimstone down on the surrounding area. The violent hail of debris pelted the zord forcing Martin to move the vehicle toward a safer area. The Red Ranger growled to himself while trying to keep the large aircraft steady and keep a lock on his teammate through the interference, "Any time now Bara... it's getting a little hairy out here."
As Bharata climbed free out into the open, he could see Martin wasn't kidding. Mount Sinabung was bubbling over angrily and the lava flows had quickly reached the area. As the glowing river of scorching magma surged on, Bharata glanced about frantically while the zord wavered in the air nearby. Having Martin land again and collect him was out of the question and would take too long so Bharata did the only thing he could think of. He gripped the boy in his arms and began running quickly up the ruins of a nearby house before making a high leap and pushing off the edge of the neighboring building to try and double jump higher. He gripped a gutter pipe of a small building and held on one handed as the lava flowed below and made the nearby grounds unsafe. His plan to get clear of the ground had worked, but he had to get higher and would need to use every bit of his agility and ninja-like skill here.
He gasped in fear as the gutter pipe shifted and almost gave way, but he used his momentum to swing over to another window ledge and bound up the side of the building using his enhanced Ranger strength. As he reached the roof of the small building, he rolled hard along some of the shingles protecting the frightened boy he carried. While the lava continued to pool along the grounds below and destabilize the building, Bharata looked up to see the sky zord come about and hover near the edge of the building with its ramp down. In the hold, the other UNAF marines held their hands out to their last comrade on the ground.
Bharata patted the boy's head reassuringly, "Hey, have you ever wanted to ride in a big flying robot?"
The child nodded fearfully as Bharata took off running for the ledge to make one last great leap, "Okay, hang on!"
The Green Ranger sprinted forward and bounded off the ledge with a soaring Ranger leap before landing on the open ramp of the hovering zord. As the marines grabbed them and hauled them in, the rear hatch closed just as the building below began collapsing under the intense heat of the molten lava which ate away the foundation beneath. Bharata rolled on the deck and lay out in sheer exhaustion as his suit powered down. While the rescued boy hurried over to the waiting arms of his relieved family, the marines gave a cheer and hoisted Bharata up to his feet to celebrate the Ranger's heroic actions.
From his earpiece, he heard Martin laugh, "Bara you crazy S.O.B. I can't believe you pulled that off, man."
"Me neither," the Green Ranger gasped with his limbs still feeling like jelly, "But thanks for the lift Captain. Let's get out of here, huh?"
"And not a moment too soon," Martin agreed as he swiftly turned the zord around and hit the thrusters. The zord flew away safely from the erupting volcano and set a new course for the other side of Sumatra hoping to meet up with the other Rangers and survivors of the disaster.
After gathering back together at their designated meeting point, the four Nova Rangers celebrated a job well done and expressed relief that everyone had made it back safely. They spent the next day sleeping and recovering from their ordeal before returning back to the island of Java. There was still a lot of work to be done in helping the relocated tsunami and volcano victims, as well as incident reports to be filed on the matter. Despite the unorthodox use of the zords, they had still come in handy to protect others without firing a single shot at an enemy. After a few more days of assisting in the humanitarian efforts, the Ranger prepared to say their goodbyes and return back home.
From the public beaches of the city, the early morning sunlight glittered off the waters of Jakarta Bay as Bharata and Anisa both went through the meditative motions of a martial arts kata. Nearby, their old teacher Basuki sat on the sand in the lotus position. The spry old man was on the road to recovery and insisted on enjoying the warm air and stillness of the morning. While Bharata moved in slow graceful unison with Anisa, he enjoyed the feel of the sun on his face and thought about how the gentle sounds of the surf reminded him of the sounds of Atlantis Base. He knew he would have to go back to duty there soon, but he wanted to enjoy the last of his time at home as much as possible. He couldn't think of a better way as he finished his kata and took one more deep cleansing breath.
As he took a moment to look out over the ocean with Anisa, he heard her give a deep sigh, "Bara... I'm glad you could come here today, to let Basuki and I see you off. I really wish you didn't have to go again."
"Me too," Bharata said as a cool sea breeze swept by and a few seagulls coasted by overhead. "I really wish I could have come home under better circumstances, and that I could spend more time with you guys. But I'm needed back at Atlantis Base."
"Well, it's best we make use of the time we have together... and I guess that goes double for me," Anisa said shyly, "Bara, I want to apologize for the way I acted before when you had to go handle that volcano thing in Sumatra."
Bharata blinked in surprise, "Anisa? You don't have to apologize for anything..."
"I do," she insisted as she turned toward him, "I know you're a Power Ranger now and that means risking your life to save others and fight those aliens in battle. I really think that's amazing and heroic and I'm so grateful for what you do..."
"But?" Bharata prompted her after a pause.
Anisa glanced away, "I just can't help but worry. I had worried about you when you were depressed about losing Diana and I was just as upset when you up and left to join the military. I wanted to be there for you... and help you. I wanted to tell you that I loved you even when you were with Diana and I was afraid I wouldn't get that chance again when you left."
Bharata froze in surprise, "Wait... what? You love me?"
Anisa sighed and turned to look out over the ocean, "Since we were younger. I guess there's no point in trying to hide it now. I always kinda thought you'd figure it out sooner or later. Some intelligence officer you are, huh?"
Bharata smiled for a moment before nodding quietly letting her continue, "I was so excited when you returned and when you were so quick to run off to risk your life again in Sumatra... those same feelings came back again, especially those fears that I'd lose you again as soon as you came back into my life."
She was surprised as Bharata gently took her shoulders and looked down at her gently, "Anisa... thank you for telling me, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry I had upset you both then and now... and that I didn't write when I left. I was dealing with a lot of things at the time and I had to find my focus and new purpose in the UNAF. I never meant to hurt you on purpose and I can only ask that you forgive me."
"Bara... of course I do," she replied happily.
He nodded and touched her cheek, "Good, because I meant what I said before too. I want to return home soon so that I can be near you and Basuki again too."
"Then we'll wait for as long as it takes Bara," she said with a smile as she reached up and gave him a soft chaste kiss on the lips.
As they parted, they glanced over and caught sight of the three other Nova Rangers watching from the distance atop a nearby sand dune. From the looks of it, Ella was already gushing in happiness while Martin and Erik exchanged an amused grin and nodded toward Bharata with quiet knowing smiles. The Green Ranger cleared his throat and tried to suppress the flushed look on his face. He knew as soon as he rejoined his friends, he was going to be teased all the way back to Atlantis Base, but he honestly didn't care. He felt Anisa's gentle hand on his arm, "Bara... it looks like your friends are waiting for you."
He smiled and squeezed her hand before walking a few paces toward his mentor. As Basuki opened his eyes, Bharata gave a respectful bow which was answered by a quiet nod from the mentor. "Go in peace my boy, and return with peace for all of us."
"Thank you Mentor. I promise I will see you again... sooner rather than later."
The Green Ranger straightened up again before turning to his waiting friends on the nearby sand dunes. Despite what had happened here, it had been good to return home and do something to help the people. As he began walking to rejoin his team, Bharata could only look to the skies and hope that he could return to Jakarta with his Ranger friends under happier times to celebrate peace, restoration, and what he hoped to be a new sense of unity with all the people he cared about.