You are sure that The Emperor's calculations are correct?" Darth Vader asked as he loomed over an Imperial Technician as she looked over the results of the latest tests on the device called The Trans-Dimensional Gateway.
"Yes, My Lord," the technician answered her as she turned and focused her light blue eyes on the menacing black mass of Darth Vader. "The journey will not be harmful to you or your armor."
"Well done, Captain Solaris," Vader said with a very slight nod. "Start the machine," Vador ordered.
"As you wish, My Lord," Captain Solaris said before nodding at her team. The other technicians began pressing a sequence of buttons, and within seconds the two large metal rods with a sphere on top of each of them began to throw the energy out toward one another and clash together over the device's central platform. Vader stepped back weary of the damage the energy bolts could potentially due to his suit, to the very thing that kept what little was left of his organic body alive.
"Wait for my signal, and re-open the gate," Vader ordered as he stepped marched through the dimensional gate.
"Yes, My Lord," Captain Solaris replied. Vader emerged from the gate on a secluded road on a slightly chilly night. He walked to the edge of a cliff and saw a city, its lights twinkling in the distance. Silently he wondered how a Jedi got to what he could see was a primitive backwater world in another dimension. He turned and began working his way down the winding path. He knew his prey was somewhere in the distant city, and before the night's end, he would add one more Jedi to the long list of names he had killed.
Meanwhile, Tommy pulled up in front of Kat's home and shut off the red truck his parents had given him just a few days ago for his eighteenth birthday. A shiver went through his body. It wasn't a normal cold, that he had felt. It reminded him in an odd way of the cave on Dagobah. He tapped his fingers against the truck's center council, where he had placed his lightsaber. Following Yoda's advice, he always kept it nearby. He then looked at the passenger seat and picked up the bouquet of mixed flowers he had gotten for Kat's mom and the pink rose corsage he had gotten for Kat. He grabbed them, stepped out of the truck, and headed up the walk. He sighed nervously before knocking on the door.
A few seconds later, the door opened and Heather Hillard smiled at the young man. "Tommy, nice to see you again, please come in," she said smiling at him as she stood aside, inviting him into their home. "You certainly clean up nicely," she said as she gave the younger man a lookover. his hair was pulled back and unlike when they met earlier in the week, no bandanna was tied around his head. His beard looked to be freshly trimmed, and neatly kept. He wore a light green button-down shirt, with black pants, shoes, and tie.
"Thanks, Misses Hillard. It's good seeing you again. Oh, these are for you," he said handing her the bouquet.
"Thank you," she said taking the flowers. "I'll go get these in some water. Kat should be ready soon," she said as she walked into the kitchen, and William walked out into the living room.
"Tommy," William said sticking out his hand.
"Mister Hillard," Tommy said sticking out his hand. The two shook hands and smiled at one another.
"This dance ends at eleven right?"
"Yes sir," Jommy answered with a slight nod of his head.
"And you, Kat, and your friends are going to give Ernie, the nice gentleman that owns The Youth Center help cleaning up after the dance. Is that right?"
"Yeah, that's right sir," he answered.
"I'd like you to have Kat home by twelve-thirty."
"Sure thing," Tommy answered.
"See Dad? I told you," Kat as she walked into the room from the hallway. Tommy looked at Kat with a stunned look on his face. She had her long blonde hair done in an elegant updo with two ringlets that hung down and framed her face. She wore a snugly fitting pink knee-length dress with black open-toed shoes with four-inch wedge heels.
"Kat, you look...wow," Tommy said. "Uh... this is for you," he said as he opened the clear plastic container that the corsage was in. He pulled it out, and held it out for Kat, using his free hand to hold open the bracelet portion.
"It's beautiful. Thank you, Tommy," she said as she held out her left hand letting Tommy slide it over her wrist.
"Don't mention it," Tommy said with a smile. "Shall we?" he asked as he held out his arm.
"Yeah," she answered taking his arm and walking towards the door. "Mom, Dad, I'll see you later," she added as she and Tommy exited the home.
"Bye kids, have a good time," Heather said smiling at them. She and her husband watched as the two teens walked down the front walk to Tommy's waiting truck. When they got there, Tommy stepped ahead of Kat and opened the passenger-side door for her. Kat smiled at him as she stepped into the truck. "Nicely done Tommy," Heather said with a smile drawing a look from her husband.
"I take it you approve of him?" William asked.
"Yes, he's a very nice young man. Not unlike yourself dear."
After a short drive, the two arrived at The Youth Center just in time to meet their friends right outside of the main entrance. Zack was dressed in a purple button-down shirt, black pants, belt, and tie. Angela, the first of the non-rangers in the group wore a purple single-strap gown. Billy wore a blue suit with a white undershirt and black tie and loafers. Marge wore a light blue dress with white wedge-heeled shoes. Trini wore a yellow and black knee-length dress with black flats for shoes. Richie, her date and Ernie's new employee, wore a dark red button-down shirt, with black pants, belt, and tie. Finally, Jason wore a similar red button-down shirt, only in a lighter shade, and black pants. He had decided to forego a tie. Emily had her light brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and wore a black knee-length dress that hugged her frame flatteringly and red wedge-heeled shoes.
"Hey Tomm, Kat, you guys sure look good," Marge said as the two walked over to the larger group.
"Thanks, Marge," Kat said with a smile. "You and Billy look good too."
"Man, this is one good-looking group," Zack said as he and Jason shared a high-five. They walked into The Youth Center and into the main area to see it filling up with their fellow students.
"Hey guys," Ernie said as he walked by with a tray of empty glasses.
"Hey Ernie," the group replied.
"Ernie, you want some help?" Richie asked.
"No, Richie, I got it. You just have fun tonight,"
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, now go have fun with your date," Ernie said as he set the tray down on the bar and pointed at Trini with a smile.
"Come on Angelea," Zack said with a smile as he offered her his hand, "The Zack Man, is in the mood, to groove," he added as he quickly and gracefully spun three times in place. Angela laughed and took his hand.
"Marge, would you like to dance?" Billy asked.
"I would be delighted," Marge answered as she and Billy headed to the floor. The rest of the group looked at one another and shrugged as they all headed for the dance floor. For several hours the juice bar was alive with the music as the young patrons danced, laughed, ate snacks, and drank Ernie's fruity concoctions together.
"Alright everyone, it's the final dance of the night. So gentleman, grab that special lady, and make this one count," the DJ said with a smile.
"Kat, care to dance?" Tommy asked holding out his hand.
"Yeah," she said with a smile as she took Tommy's hand and followed him from the table a few of them had been sitting at to the dance floor. She wrapped her arms around his neck, as he held her hips, and All-4-One's I Swear began to play.
It was shortly after midnight when Tommy pulled up in front of Kat's home. He felt a tremor in The Force that Kat had noticed since she was looking at him with a look of concern. "Tommy, are you alright?"
"Yeah, just an off feeling," he answered as he took his lightsaber out of the center council and clipped it to one of the belt loops behind his back. The two exited the truck and walked up the front walk arm-in-arm.
"Have a good night kids?" Heather asked as she and William sat on the porch swing.
"Yeah, it was a lot of fun," Kat answered.
"Tommy, you alright lad, you look pale," William asked. Before he answered Tommy spun around calling his lightsaber to his hand. Two distinctive snap-hiss sounds were heard and a slit second later, two blades one green and one blood red, clashed together. Their light revealed a tall figure clad in black armor. Vader pressed a switch on his chest plate taking his suit out of its stealth mode, and his breathing apparatus hissed loudly. Kat screamed as her initial shock wore off. She ran the short distance to the porch and turned just in time to see Tommy and Vader break their blade lock and Vader launched a horizontal swipe at Tommy. Tommy dropped and rolled coming up on Vader's left side and tried to cut The Sith Lord down, only to have the crimson blade block his own.
"Darth Vader, I presume," Tommy said as he and Vader began to slowly circle one another.
"Join me or die, boy," Vader said in reply.
"No thanks, I'm good," Tommy replied.
Vader let out a mechanical roar as he launched a savage series of blows at Tommy. Tommy moved to block each of the blows. Thanks to the strength of his cybernetic limbs Vader quickly had Tommy on his back foot. The young Jedi narrowly dodged a thrust of the red blade and swung his blade downward, which sparked against the armor covering Vaders right shoulder.
"GAAAH!" Vader yelled as he backhanded Tommy with his left hand sending the young man flying backward. He landed hard near the steps to the porch where Kat and her parents looked on in horror. Kat brought her communicator up to her mouth.
"Guys! We need help at my place now!" she yelled into her communicator. Her parents looked at her in confusion. Without thinking she reached behind her back, brought out her morpher, and raised it to the sky. "It's Morphin' Time! Pterodactyl!" she called out and in a flash of pink light, the pink ranger now stood where Kat had been. An instant later four streaks of light landed in the front yard behind Darth Vader revealing the black, blue, yellow, and red rangers. They raised their blade blasters and fired. Vader grunted the laser beams doing little more than scorching his armor weave cape. He spun around and sent a powerful Force Push at the other rangers sending them flying back, Jason nearly slamming into the passenger side of Tommy's truck.
"Kat you... you're..." Heather said as she watched her daughter, the pink ranger raise her bow and fire an arrow. It stopped in mid-air, just before it met the back of Vader's helmet spun around, and fley back at her.
"AH!" Kat cried out as her arrow struck her chest causing her suit to spark.
"Dragonzord!" Tommy called out. Vader turned quickly and met Tommy's blade with his own. This time when Vadr performed a counter slash of his own Tommy jumped back dodging the blade. Vader began to advance and Tommy dropped into the opening stance of Soresu. Seeing this caused Vader to pause slightly before renewing his advance. Enraged at seeing the opening stance of the form favored by his former master, Vader rained blow after blow down on Tommy while using The Force to swat the other rangers away like flies whenever they tried to interject themselves into the deadly duel. The green ranger however easily stood his ground blocking, dodging, and where possible, parrying and counter-attacking Vader's attacks.
"AIIYA!" Tommy yelled as he dodged yet another of Vader's strikes and thrust his blade forward, managing to score a minor hit on the control Box on The sith Lord's chest. Instantly Vador's breathing became labored and in a rage he attempted to send Tommy flying with a Force Push. Tommy sensed this, however, and raised his left arm and called on The Force to surround him in a protective shield. Vader was surprised to see that the boy was able to resist his Force Push only causing him to slide back a foot or so without losing his footing.
"Impressive," Vader said, as he glanced down and accessed the damage to his control panel. "Most impressive. Perhaps The Emperor was correct in thinking you were very powerful. I wonder what you'll do to save them." he added as he held out a gloved hand. Tommy readied himself for anything, but, heard Kat scream.
"Mom! Dad!" Tommy turned to see the Hillards floating in mid-air grasping at their throats. Tommy called The Dragon Dagger to his left hand and played the command tune. As he did, green lightning shot from The dragon Power Coin emblem on the hilt of the weapon. It struck Vader and his mechanical suit began to malfunction.
"Open the gate," Vader said into his suit's internal comlink. Behind him a portal opened to his dimension. Sensing that the Jedi and his allies were moving in for an attack, Vader sent out a powerful wave of Force Energy that sent them all flying back. Kat slammed into her house and fell on the porch near her parents who were still gasping for breath. Vader slowly rose, his legs still struggling thanks to the damage inflicted by Tommy, and entered the portal just before it closed.
"Are you two alright," Kat asked as she helped her parents to their feet.
"Young lady, we need to have a talk," William said as he rubbed his throat. Before anything else could be said, every one of them was teleported away as the sounds of sirens filled the night air. The rangers in the respective colors, and Kat's parents in steaks of white.
Upon arriving at The Command Center, both Heather and William gasped at the sight of Zordon.
"Welcome William and Heather Hillard," Zordon said. "I am Zordon, a trusted friend of your daughter's"
"You mean the one that turned her into some... some... child soldier!" William yelled. "Just what the hell was that thing? One of what's his name's monsters?!"
"Please be calm," Zordon said. "I understand your concern William, but I assure you when the original pink ranger chose Kat to take her place, she could not have done so without the coin's consent."
"What?" Heather asked speaking for the first time.
"The original pink ranger left to follow her dreams, she asked me to take her place," Kat explained as she and the others took off their helmets revealing her other friends.
"Why you?" Heather asked.
"Mum, Dad, shortly after we moved to Angel Grove, I was kidnapped and brainwashed by Lord Zedd. Because of him I nearly killed the original pink ranger. She took a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and asked me to take her place. She knew I wanted to make up for what I had done, in my right mind or not. I chose this, please understand this."
"Kat you're just a little girl and your friends you're all just kids," William protested.
"With respect sir, most of us have been doing this for over a year now," Billy said.
William turned to say something to Billy, but, before he could say anything Heather spoke up. "Willaim," she said sharply drawing everyone's attention. "Kat is almost eighteen, and so are her friends if they're not already. We always hoped she would make a difference in the world, and now she is, she's saving it."
"But..." he began to protest.
"I know, I don't much like it either, but, it is her choice." Willaim sighed and nodded his agreement.
"William and Heather," Zordon said drawing their attention. "You are now the only two people that know the identities of The Power Rangers that have not served as a ranger themselves. My sensors tell me you can be trusted with this most precious secret."
"We can," Heather nodded.
"Right, but, why did Zedd did you say his name was? Send that thing after Kat and Tommy tonight?" William asked.
"He didn't," Tommy answered.
"Darth Sidious sent his apprentice Darth Vader after me," Tommy answered.
"Why?" William asked.
"Because, unlike the other rangers, I am a Jedi Knight."
"A what?" William asked.
"Alpha, link the Holocron to the viewing globe, would you?" Tommy asked as he moved to stand next to the viewing globe.
"Right Tommy," Alpha said as he did as Tommy asked. With the Holocron and viewing globe linked, Tommy began telling the tale of the fall of The Republic, and the rise of The Empire as the viewing provided images of the people and places he spoke of.
Nearly an hour later, the Hillards were looking back and forth from the teens to Zordon with their mouths open in shock. "So, those what did you call them? Power Coins? Chose these kids to protect Earth?" Heather asked.
"Yes, that is correct," Zordon answered.
"But, Rita had The Dragon Power Coin, kidnapped and brainwashed Tommy before the others could free him. Eventually took his power away with a magic wax, and he regained it by becoming some kind of Space Samurai?" William asked.
"More or less," Tommy said with a shrug.
"And that thing, that attacked us was a man? Not some monster?"
"Well," Tommy said with a hint of sadness in his voice, "that is a matter of debate, I think."
"What do you mean?" Heather asked. "He, it, whatever, tried to kiss us."
"Before he became what he is, before he became Darth Vader, he was a man named Anakin Skywalker. According to an old prophecy he was, and may still be The Chosen One."
"'The Chosen One?'" Jason asked with a slight laugh. "No offense bro, but, do you believe that?"
"I'm not sure. From what Master Yoda told me, he was created by midi-chlorians which, is why he is so powerful. When he was discovered by Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn the count of midi-chlorians in his blood was twenty-thousand," Tommy answered. He stopped when he saw the nervous, or at least what passed for nervous for a robot, way that Alpha looked at Zordon. "Zordon? Alpha?" he asked. Alpha looked to Zordon for some kind of answer.
"Tommy, when we measured the midi-chlorian count in your blood, the computer estimated a count of twenty-thousand," Zordon said after a long silence.
A thoughtful look came to Tommy's face and he began pacing around The Command Center. "Tommy?" Kat asked.
"I'm trying to wrap my head around this, Anakin Skywalker was meant to be one of if not the most powerful Jedi in the history of his galaxy, and I have the potential to be every bit as powerful as he could have been."
"'Could have been?' What do you mean by that?" Jason asked. "He seemed pretty powerful to me."
"He is, but he's also more machine than man now, and The Force flows the living. The metal and circuitry in all of his cybernetics would interfere with that, at least to some extent. If I had to guess, his power mostly comes from The Darkside of The Force."
"Great," Zack said as he threw up his hands. "Not only are we dealing with someone who was a powerful Jedi, but now your telling us he's what? On space magic steroids?"
"In a manner of speaking," Tommy answered.
"So The Darkside is stronger then?" Trini asked.
"No, at least according to Master Yoda, The Darkside is easier, more seductive, and tempting, but, not more powerful. Which is why Zack's steroid crack isn't too far from the truth."
"So, do you have a plan?" William asked looking at the young man he now understood was the newly elected leader of The Power Rangers, a young man that after hearing his tale, he couldn't help but respect himself, even if he had wanted to.
"Zordon, I'd like to go back to the other dimension. I'd like to speak with Master Yoda in person."
"Very well Tommy," Zordon said his head moving as if nodding.
"We're going too," Jason said speaking up for the rest of the group. "Look, Tommy, we'd like to meet Yoda, hear what he has to say. I mean you said he's what like eight hundred?"
"Give or take a decade or two," Tommy answered. "Zordon, would you be able to reach us, in case Zedd tries anything, or Vader returns?"
"Yes, Alpha and I have been able to strengthen the communications signal and can now communicate with you across dimensions."
"Alright then, Alpha, please teleport us to Dagobah. We won't need to morph, the air there is very breathable."
"Kat, sweetie, please be careful," Heather said looking at her daughter almost as if for the first time.
"I will Mum," Kat said with a nod. A second later and the six teens teleported away once again.
In what seemed like seconds later, they landed in a clearing on the swamp world. Yoda's hut, not far in front of them. Emerging from the hut was a tiny and ancient alien with green skin, long pointy ears, and a friendly smile on his wrinkled face. "Ah, Tommy, returned so soon have you?" he asked with a slight chuckle.
"It's good to see you again, Master Yoda," he said as he bowed to the ancient Jedi Master. "These are my friends, Zack Taylor."
"Hello, Master Yoda," Zack said as he bowed as Tommy had.
"Kat Hillard."
"Hello sir," Kat said bowing herself
"Billy Cranston."
"Greetings, Master Yoda," Billy said as he bowed.
"Trini Kwan."
"A pleasure," Trini said as she bowed as the others had.
"And of course, Jason Scott."
"A great honor, Master Yoda," Jason said as he bowed to Yoda.
"Mine the honor is, to meet young ones such as yourselves. Dedicated to defending your world, and seeking not, greater power for its own sake. Fine Jedi you would have been."
"Thanks, Master Yoda. After seeing what Tommy is capable of, we can't imagine a greater compliment," Kat said smiling at Yoda, then shooting a glance at Tommy.
"Do for you, what can I?" Yoda asked looking at Tommy.
"Master, Darth Vader has attacked my home, and Zordon told me I have a midi-chlorian count close to if not equal to his own, what could that mean if he is The Chosen One?"
"If I may, My Master," a disembodied voice said from a distance. A moment later a tall translucent man with long hair pulled back and a neatly trimmed goatee appeared.
"Tommy, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, allow me to introduce," Yoda said looking up at The Force Ghost of Qui-Gon.
"Greetings, young Jedi," Qui-Gon said with a smirk and a bow.
"Master, Qui-Gon," Tommy said as he returned the bow. "Forgive my impatience, but you have some idea of how it can be that I could be as powerful as Vader?"
"I do, please, sit my friends," Qui-Gonn said as he sat and the rangers sat nearby him.
There are many facets to The Force my friends. Far beyond The Light and The Dark. It is my belief that the answer you seek lies within The Living Force."
"Excuse me sir," Billy began, "but, what do you mean by 'The Living Force?'"
"In the time since I have become one with The Force, I have confirmed what I have always suspected. The Force does not just simply flow in around, and through all living things. It is in itself a living thing on some level I believe we have always known this and expressed this in our saying things are 'The will of The Force.' Anakin was created by The Force in response to Darthi Sidious' master Darth Plaugus' perversions of The Force itself. When Anakin fell to darkness thanks to Sidious' manipulations, The Froce saw fit to grant you equal power in an attempt to balance itself."
"So, what, I have to kill Vader?"
"No, I still believe Anakin is The Chosen One, and that Vader is simply an obstacle he must overcome. Events were set in motion prior to Anakin's fall that I belive in one way or another that The Force has saw fit not to show me yet."
"Man, this is deep," Zack said shaking his head and drawing a laugh from the collected group.
"You don't know the half of it, my young friend," Qui-Gon said placing his hand on Zack's shoulder.