Devious One
05-09-2009, 09:48 AM
This will be the official thread for Power Rangers Space Patrol Delta Series 2. it's a little invention of mine that I always wanted to get started. The basic premise is that what if instead of the villains being from an outside source, what if the Rangers had enemies from within. If it's something you'd like to read more, please let me know.
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February 3, 2026
New Tech City
8:13 am
For New Tech City and all of it's multicultural citizens, everything changed, it seemed, at 8:13 on the morning of August, 19. Because it was on February 3 that the Stranger first came to New Tech City. And, just like most life changing instances, it happened without warning and with sudden impact....
There were several people out on the sidewalks, both alien and human alike, as there ar everyday. Some were talking, others were just by themselves, going about their normal daily business. There were some homeless out and about, others were the rich businessmen and women. People going to their jobs, but regardless of why they were out, they were.
At 26th & Elwood, a fourteen story building stood at that corner. A parking garage adorned the bottom three levels of the building and the rest of the floors held labs, offices. The building itself was one of many Space Patrol Delta federal research facilities throughout the country. As the sun's early morning rays shined down on the building and people walked in front of it and into it, something heppened.
It began as a rumble, the ground shaking just slightly, then a massive boom thundered loudly. Windows shattered, heat exppanded outward, and the building itself exploded at numerous intervals throughout the building's structure. When it first began, only the top floor exploded, but it's windows, the walls of plaster and brick exploded outward. And precious seconds later, floor by floor, more explosions erupted and the entire building seemed to collapse in on itself.
The shockwave from the numerous explosions sent vehicles careening out of control, only to crash into other early morning citizens on the highway in their own vehicles. It was less than two minutes later that the sirens of ambulances, the local city police, and Space Patrol Delta could be heard, on their way to lend support. Whatever support they could.
Less than three blocks from where the building had once stood, on the roof of another high rise building, a single figure stood. The figure was of average height, with a hood and dark robe covering his entire body. Even black gloves adorned hands. There was no part of his body visible. Whoever this individual was, he was shrouded. But he watched with complete total satisfaction as the building fell.
It was, after all, his work.
*****
New Tech City
SPD Headquarters
9:00 am
Sky Tate sat on a chair in the waiting area outside Commander Cruger's private office in the officer's living wing at the SPD headquarters. To say he had mixed feelings about being here was an understatement. With the SPD facility explosion the day before, he would much rather be out there with the rest of his team than be sitting here. But, it was Commander Cruger's order to meet with him privately that kept him here.
One thing he knew about Cruger was that the Commander didn't wish to meet privately unless there was an important reason behind it. So, whatever it was, Sky would wait and see. As he sat there, he thought about the day previous. Early reports from intelligence was indicating that evidence was found at the location, among the rubble. Evidence that pointed to a bombing, rather than gas leaks, like Sky had first suspected. But, with this being a possible bombing, it made things a lot more complicated. Especially for Space Patrol Delta.
The building was an SPD facility, so it's entirely possible that it was a planned bombing. If that were the case, Sky knew they'd have to find out who set the bomb and why. Not to mention bring that individual down.
Sky himself had spent the past sixteen hours helping the local police, and SPD officers going through the wreckage, trying to locate survivors. And so far, they'd only found three survivors. Those three survivors were badly burned. It would take several surgeries to repair the damage done to one of those three survivors. A grim look came over Sky's face. There was at least seven hundred fifty people unaccounted for that were in the building when the bomb went off.
Seven hundred fifty. Sky ran the number through his head a few times. Shaking his head, he looked down. The uniform he now wore felt natural on him. It wasn't the blue uniform, but the red he now wore. He'd been the Red SPD Power Ranger now for almost six months and so far, he believed he'd done a decent job as leader of the B Squad, but that was really for Commander Cruger to decide, not himself.
He heard the doors slide open and Sky looked up in time to see Commander Cruger at the doorway. Sky got up and stood at attention, saluting the Commander of SPD. "Sir." he said.
Anubis 'Doggie' Cruger nodded at Sky. "Sky, come on in. Thank you for coming."
Sky followed Cruger into his private office. Cruger's office was spacious with the back wall where his desk was completely glass, showing a beautiful view of not only the sky, but of New Tech City as well. And seeing the view, Sky saw the smoke billowing upwards at a certain spot, indicating the building that blew up the day before. And he was reminded yet again of recent events.
"Commander, you said you wanted to meet with me privately." Sky said after a moment.
Cruger nodded as he walked over behind his desk. He placed his hands on the back of his chair. "Yes, I did." Cruger looked down at his desk for a moment, then he returned his gaze to Sky. "Sky, first I wanted to say this to you. From day one, I knew you would eventually become the Red Ranger. I knew you'd make a terrific Power Ranger once you leanred some things. I've watched you grow and mature as a person, and as a Ranger and it's been an honor to see. You've learned patience, maturity, self discipline, courage, but most of all, you've learned when to lead, and when to follow. These are all traits that a leader has to have. And you have learned them well. You are a great Red Ranger. A great leader of B Squad."
Hearing the words, the impassioned speech from Cruger, Sky felt a swell of pride surge through him and he stood even straighter. "Thank you, Commander. I have tried to lead the B Squad to the best of my ability."
"And you have done an excellent job." Cruger replied, "Crime has decreased seventeen percent since I promoted you to Red Ranger, not to mention people are starting to look to us with admiration, instead of trepidation. The public's faith in us was shaken with Gruum's attacks last year. With how long it took us to capture him."
"But sir..." Sky started to say.
Cruger held a hand up. "The past is the past, Sky. We can't change it, we can only look to improve the future. Which is what you and the B Squad are doing." Cruger told him. "Which brings me to why I asked you here. The main reason."
Sky stayed silent, watching Cruger.
Commander Cruger seeemed to struggle with his words slightly. "It's going to be announced tomorrow, Sky, but I wanted you to know right now, so you can prepare the other Rangers for it. It's going to be a shock to many people."
"What is, sir?" Sky asked.
Cruger looked Sky in the eyes. "The Council of Intergalactic Policing Affairs has promoted Supereme Commander Birdy. As of tomorrow morning, he is going to be Chancellor Birdy."
It was shock that colored Sky's face. His mouth opened and he didn't quite know what to say.
Cruger continued. "Out of Birdy's promotion is going to come new appointments. This is where things get hard." Cruger stopped a moment. "The Council has offered me the position of Supreme Commander."
Sky understood what the Commander was trying to say. He'd have to leave Earth. "What are you going to do, sir?"
"Sky, I'm accepting the appointment. There are a lot of problems at Galaxy Command right now. The wrong people are in charge up there and it's ruining what Galaxy Command was created to be. I'm accepting the position for a lot of reasons, but I believe I need to be up there. If for no other reason, than to make things better. For everyone."
"Commander, I agree with you. I think this is the right decision." Sky said.
Cruger turned around, gazed outside. "This comes at a bad time, I know. Yesterday's bombing of our own research facility is going to demand much of SPD's time."
"I know, sir. And I'm prepared to whatever's necessary to find the person responsible."
Cruger nodded. "Good. I'm glad to hear that. Sky, there's something else."
"Sir?"
"As Supreme Commander, I'm being given the responsibility to appoint my replacement here. I'm promoting Kat. I believe she is more than capable of handling the responsibilities that I've had over the years. I believe she'll make an excellent SPD Commander." Cruger said, "However, she is going to need you. And the other B Squad members. I think the coming months are going to be difficult on everyone. I want to ask you to treat her as you would me. Trust her decisions and her orders. But most of all, help her keep Earth safe."
Sky nodded. "Commander, you can believe me when I tell you that Kat will be shown nothing but the same respect I've shown you. You have no need to worry. New Tech City and Earth will be in safe hands."
And the future Supreme Commander Cruger nodded once, but as he gazed outside, he hoped in his heart that those words would stay true. But he didn't know.
He just didn't know.
*****
New Tech City
August 10, 2026
8:15 am
A white SPD standard issue jeep entered parking lot 9, adjacent to the SPD headquarters in New Tech City. Inside the jeep, SPD officer and current B Squad member Sydney Drew drove the jeep into her assigned parking spot and, after cutting the engine, exited the vehicle. She carried a newspaper in her right hand.
Entering headquarters, she unfolded the newspaper and looked at the headline for the dozenth time. It was another Stranger bombing. The headline read 'STRANGER STRIKES AGAIN'. And in the article, it mentions how the faith in SPD was not as strong as it used to be. Many people believed that the B Squad should have already captured the Stranger.
It'd been six months ago that the B Squad was first assigned to the Stranger case. Just after Doggie Cruger became Supreme Commander of SPD, and after Kat Manx became SPD's Commander, a message was delivered. It was delivered to one of New Tech City's local police stations. It was a single sheet of parchment. The message was simple. The McAllister Building was only the beginning. There will be many more before I'm done. And it was signed simply, the Stranger. That's when it became known as the Stranger bombing.
And it would have stayed the Stranger bombing, but within that same month, three more heavily populated buildings were destroyed through bombs, the same type of bombs as well and more messages were left. To the Stranger, it was a game of cat and mouse. Him vs the B Squad Power Rangers.
But it wasn't a game. Not to Syd. And definitely not to the B Squad. People were dying. People were already dying. And as each day came and went, more and more people were in doubt that the B Squad could handle this crisis. Or that Kat Manx should be leading SPD. Or that she was even fit to fill the shoes that Doggie Cruger left. Things were tense, and getting worse.
And now, here it is six months later, and at least twenty five bombings throughout California and other American states have been accredited to the Stranger and the Power Rangers haven't been able to get a solid lead that could help them stop the Stranger.
Syd stepped off the elevator as she reached the right floor and she headed straight towards the bridge. The entrance doors slid open and she walked inside. Already on the bridge were Commander Manx and the other B Squad Rangers. She tossed the newspaper on a console. "Have you guys seen this?" she asked them.
Sky picked up the newspaper, unfolded it and skimmed it. As he studied it, his face tensed. "More talk about our inability to find the Stranger, or at least uncover his identity."
Kat walked over and snatched the newspaper from Sky. "What these people print are lies, guys. I don't want you to pay any attention to it. I know your doing the best you can to find the Stranger." Dressed in her black garments with her Commander credentials pinned on her lapels, Kat was easily seen as someone with authority.
"Are we?" Bridge asked.
Z turned to him. "What do you mean?"
Bridge looked at everyone. "Just that maybe we should start trying....well, some less than reputable means of investigating ."
Sky rested his hands on his hips. "Like what, Bridge?"
Bridge put his hands on the console. "We haven't tried using Piggy since this Stranger thing started. Maybe we should ask him to reach to whatever contacts he still has. Not to mention the history banks tell us that in the past, there were Power Rangers who had the means of contacting the future. Perhaps we could track down that technology and use it. See if there's anything in the future on this Stranger."
The B Squad Rangers were silent, each member contemplating Bridge's suggestions. They were, after all, good suggestions. They had used Piggy's questionable means of investigating in the past. When Gruumm was invading, they had. Of course, Piggy had been double dealing as well.
"Using Piggy is not an option." Commander Kat finally said. "He's been really making an effort to change his ways since we defeated Gruumm. We shouldn't ask anything like this of him, unless it's absolutely necessary. As far as the Time Force technology, when SPD was established here, Galaxy Command came and seized it. Birdy believed having it could effect the future, so he locked it away in storage somewhere."
"Great," Z said, "so we're back to square one."
Sky looked up, "guys, I know we've gone this route before, but I think maybe we should talk to King Rufus again. Or at least I should."
"That was a dead end, Sky." Kat pointed out. "He couldn't help us six months ago."
Sky shook his head, "no, he wouldn't help us. Look, the Stranger, whoever he is, in order for him to make these bombs, he needs equipment. Parts. King Rufus deals in information exchange. He knows something. That much I'm sure of. We should have questioned him further. Or at least brought him in."
Kat responded. "There are a lot of reasons why I refused to authorize his arrest, Sky. If we brought King Rufus in, even if it was just for questioning, we would have risked a possible riot among the citizens. They wouldn't like that we're using known gangsters for information. We couldn't risk it, then, and we can't do it now. I'm sorry Sky, the answer is no."
Sky sighed, but he nodded once.
"So, what do we do now?" Syd asked.
Kat addressed them. "I want all four of you on your normal patrol routes. The Stranger isn't our only priority right now. We need for the citizens of New Tech City to see your faces, out among them, it'll make them feel safer and maybe, just maybe, some of that faith will be restored that we've lost in recent months."
The four B Squad members saluted. "Let's do it guys." Sky said.
Each of them headed out in a different direction. Each of them had a different assigned patrol route, though they eventually intersected with each other, it was still their personal routes. And Kat was right, the people needed to see their faces among them.
*****
New Tech City
Unknown location
8:30 am, same day
Inside of a dark cavernlike room, the Stranger stood. Buried in his black cape and hood, he stood near a table that contained different parts and pieces. He was working on his next bomb. This one, once ignited, wouldn't just destroy a single building. Half a city block would be decimated this time.
It was time to escalate things with the Power Rangers. The Stranger was tiring of the game at it's current stage. He had an agenda and he wanted it to hurry along. He'd come back to Earth with the same goal in mind, total and complete destruction of not only the city, but of the B Squad SPD Power Rangers as well.
He knew it started with the city, it had to. But it would end with their deaths. For the last six months, he'd destroyed building after building, facility after facility. And he purposefully left small clues behind, hoping SPD would detect it and put them on his trail. But they hadn't noticed the clues, hadn't found what he'd left behind. And so, he'd escalate things, make things more serious.
Looking down at the parts, the Stranger realized that he was missing a single piece. The energy center he had wasn't strong enough to cause the damage he wanted. He'd have to get one that was stronger. He knew where he'd go. Same place he'd been going for the past few weeks. The Stranger didn't worry about being ratted out by anyone at the place he'd go to, because they all feared him. The few of the who'd seen what remained of his face saw enough to be deathly afraid of him, of what he was capable of. And it was that fear that the Stranger loved. That fear he'd use to his advantage to get what he wanted.
As he left his private dwelling, he thought about how fun it would be to watch the chaos erupt when his new bomb leveled a different section of the city. And he thought about the Power Ranhgers, too stupid to catch his clues. He laughed.
*****
New Tech City
The King's Club
9:00 am, same day
The King's Club was one of those clubs that was open all the time. They required a ten dollar entrance fee at the door, and then you paid for whatever you wanted. If you just wanted something to drink, they had that. If you wanted something else, well in most cases, they could help you as well.
It was owned by a man named King Rufus. King Rufus wasn't human. He was, in fact, an alien from the planet Belcor and he had blue scaly skin with ridges over his eyes. He was six feet tall with four arms instead of two. King Rufus first came to New Tech City on Earth in 2010 and established his club. As the years rolled by, King Rufus dabbled his claws in more and more illegal activities. Black market dealing in many platforms, he became known as someone who could get whatever it was that you wanted. His name spread like wildfire. You wanted it, chances were, he could get it for you.
It was when Sky Tate was first at the SPD Academy that he first found out about King Rufus. Because King Rufus never broke the main laws of SPD, Commander Cruger let Rufus stay in business. That, and there was the fact that at one time, Rusus saved Cruger's life and, in return, Rufus's only favor to Cruger was to stay away.
And Cruger did just that, making sure Rufus's business and SPD's never became entangled. As long as King Rufus's dealings never caused major harm. And for the most part, they hadn't. Rufus made sure never to deal with certain areas, or with certain individuals. He didn't after all, want anything to jeapordize his business, or his club.
And Sky liked coming here because the atmosphere was relaxed, both human and alien came here and didn't have to worry about being hassled. It was nice, for both types of citizens. But six months ago, Sky had believed that King Rufus's dealings had crossed a line, that Rufus knew about the Stranger, or at least knew how to find the Stranger. But King Rufus wouldn't give anything away. Whether he knew something or not, he wouldn't say. And the newly appointed Commander, Kat Manx, knew about Rufus's history with Cruger and tried to look out for Rufus, as much as she was able.
And despite Kat's words, the doors to the King's Club opened, and Sky Tate entered. The alien that approached him, the doorman, did so with trepidation as he spotted the SPD credentials. But he spoke gruffly. "Red Ranger, ten dollars or you go no further."
Sky simply looked at him. "I can bring you to headquarters and put you in holding if you don't get out of my way."
It was enough to shut the alien up as he quickly got out of the way. Sky scanned the floor until he found who he was looking for. HE walked over to the bar and he sat down on a stool. "How you doing, Hub?" Sky asked.
The bartender, a human male with dark hair and gray eyes, turned around and, with a grumpy look on his old face, gtlared at Sky. Hubbard Rave was a fifty six year old man who'd lived in New Tech City most of his life. Even in the older days, when it wasn't even known as New Tech City. In those days, Hubbard had been a struggling businessman, just trying to make ends meet. Then, when aliens started being welcomed to the city as citizens, everything had changed.
The King's Club had opened and one day, King Rufus himself had seen old Hub on the street and recognizing one struggling person to another, had offered him work at his club and the rest was history. Hub had been bartending here ever since. That haed been fifteen years ago. Now, Hub tried to muster a smile at the SPD Ranger. Sky had, after all, saved this city last year. "What are you doing here, Sky? You know your not welcome after you tried harrassing King Rufus six months ago."
Sky leaned his forearms on the table. "Look, I won't waste your time or mine, I need to see King Rufus. Things are a lot worse now than they were then. We have to find the Stranger and I know King knows something. There's something he won't tell me, and I'm not leaving until I talk to him."
Hub shook his head. "You never learn, kid. All it'll take from me is a nod and all eight of the bouncers standing in here will come straight at you. And as tough as I know ya are, even you won't be able to beat em all off. So, just get outta here, okay Sky."
Sky stared straight back at Hub. "You call your boys on me, Hub, and when I come to, I'll make sure this club is watched twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. All the shady things King's been doing, the black market deals, the drugs and money racketeering, all of it, will end. King Rufus will be arrested and sentenced. I'll see to it." Sky told him. "Believe it or not, that's not what I'm trying to do. I want to talk to him, find out what he knows, that's all."
Hub started to say something, but a voice to their right stopped him. "It's alright, Hub. You can go on."
"Yes, King." Hub glared one last time at Sky, then he walked off, going through a side door towards the back.
And King Rufus walked forward, towards Sky. King Rufus, with his scaly skin and glowing green eyes, was at least six feet tall, and he was massively muscular, but the clothes he wore were neatly concealing of that muscle. He enjoyed human clothing. Especially the business suits, which is what he wore today. A two piece black and white suit, especially tailored to fit his extra two arms. King Rufus crossed all four arms over his massive chest and spoke. "Sky Tate, Red SPD Power Ranger." he huffed. "Figured you'd be back."
"You know why I'm here." Sky simply said. "You know about the Stranger bombings."
"Can't help but know about them." King replied. "Buildings are dropping like flies in the city these days. And you and yours can't find this guy."
Sky stood up, and yet he was still looking up to see King's eyes. "We were here six months ago, and you wouldn't give me any information about this guy. I know there's something.....something you wouldn't say then. Something I'm asking you to tell me now. I need whatever information you can give me."
King Rufus looked away for a few seconds, towards the window, looking outside. Then, his glowing eyes turned back to Sky. "The Stranger, he isn't human, Sky. I'm not entirely sure what he is. I know only a few things about him. I'll tell you what I know, then I want you out. And I don't want to see your face in my club again, not with that uniform on. Do we understand each other?"
Sky nodded. "Perfectly."
"Good." King said. "I don't know who or what the Stranger is....but I do know that he hates Space Patrol Delta with a vengeance. He wants to see SPD suffer."
"Kind of figured that." Sky replied. "How did you first find out about this guy?"
"I first met the Stranger over a year ago. I'm closing the books on the club one day....Hub had already gone home and this shadow fills my doorway. I look up and this guy is standing in my doorway. Covered in a black cape with a hood on. I couldn't see his face hardly, just his eyes and part of his lower face. His eyes were orange, if you can believe that."
Sky's brows burrowed. "Orange, really?"
King nodded. "Yeah, strange is what I thought too. But the other part, what I saw of his face....it's even stranger. There was the right side, then the left."
Sky shook his head. "What do you mean?"
"You know, his right side looked normal, even for whatever species of alien he is, but his left side was covered in wires or circuitry.....it looked robotic to me. I don't know. It was just wierd. Anyway, he's standing there and I said to him 'who the hell are you, what do you want', and he asked me 'are you King Rufus'."
"And..." Sky prompted.
"I said yeah. He asked me if I could get him parts if he paid me." King said. "I said yes, of course. He became a customer that night. I didn't know what he was planning to do with the stuff. Didn't really care.....as long as it didn't effect me or my club."
"And now that you see it does?" Sky asked.
"We best not get into that, Tate." King replied. "Regardless, I got him the parts, never asked, he never said. Then, the explosions started happening and I figured the rest out for myself. By then, I was too disgusted with myself to come forward with what I knew. And six months ago, when you and your team came here, I didn't tell you because Doggie wasn't the Commander anymore and this Kat Manx had no reason to watch out for me."
"So, why finally tell me now, King?" Sky asked.
"Because the Stranger wants not only to destroy you and yours, but he wants to bring this city to it's knees. He'll destroy everything and anything to do it, including me. I'm telling you in hopes that you'll honor Doggie Cruger's promise to me, to stay away from me as long as I don't cross the lines that he laid down. And I haven't."
This time, Sky looked outside. Everything that was SPD about him told him to cuff King Rufus and bring him in, drill him until maybe he told him something else he could use. But Sky owed Supreme Commander Cruger and because of that, he'd stand by Cruger's word. "I'll honor what Supreme Commander Cruger promised to you. But, if I find out you know more than you're telling and I have to come back here," Sky said, making sure those glowing eyes were looking at his, "all bets are off."
"Understood, Red Ranger." King said. Then, King turned and walked off. Sky, likewise, turned and walked away. Sky walked towards the entrance door and he left the King's Club, turning right and walking towards the parking lot.
As walked across the parking lot, he happened to look towards his right and what he saw stopped him in his tracks. As King Rufus had described him, the Stranger wore a black cape with a hood over his head and most of his face was obscured. But, it was the orange eyes that Sky saw....eyes that looked right at Sky. And when they did, the rest of that body froze as well. It was in that moment that Sky knew what he was seeing. Who he was seeing. After six months of not having a single lead, a single break in the Stranger bombings case, the biggest one of all was landing right in Sky's lap.
Because the Stranger was standing not fifteen feet from him. And then, suddenly, the Stranger leaped and ran towards his right, away from Sky. Without thinking, without stalling and going on pure instinct, Sky took off, giving chase.
*****
More of episode 1 to come tomorrow.
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February 3, 2026
New Tech City
8:13 am
For New Tech City and all of it's multicultural citizens, everything changed, it seemed, at 8:13 on the morning of August, 19. Because it was on February 3 that the Stranger first came to New Tech City. And, just like most life changing instances, it happened without warning and with sudden impact....
There were several people out on the sidewalks, both alien and human alike, as there ar everyday. Some were talking, others were just by themselves, going about their normal daily business. There were some homeless out and about, others were the rich businessmen and women. People going to their jobs, but regardless of why they were out, they were.
At 26th & Elwood, a fourteen story building stood at that corner. A parking garage adorned the bottom three levels of the building and the rest of the floors held labs, offices. The building itself was one of many Space Patrol Delta federal research facilities throughout the country. As the sun's early morning rays shined down on the building and people walked in front of it and into it, something heppened.
It began as a rumble, the ground shaking just slightly, then a massive boom thundered loudly. Windows shattered, heat exppanded outward, and the building itself exploded at numerous intervals throughout the building's structure. When it first began, only the top floor exploded, but it's windows, the walls of plaster and brick exploded outward. And precious seconds later, floor by floor, more explosions erupted and the entire building seemed to collapse in on itself.
The shockwave from the numerous explosions sent vehicles careening out of control, only to crash into other early morning citizens on the highway in their own vehicles. It was less than two minutes later that the sirens of ambulances, the local city police, and Space Patrol Delta could be heard, on their way to lend support. Whatever support they could.
Less than three blocks from where the building had once stood, on the roof of another high rise building, a single figure stood. The figure was of average height, with a hood and dark robe covering his entire body. Even black gloves adorned hands. There was no part of his body visible. Whoever this individual was, he was shrouded. But he watched with complete total satisfaction as the building fell.
It was, after all, his work.
*****
New Tech City
SPD Headquarters
9:00 am
Sky Tate sat on a chair in the waiting area outside Commander Cruger's private office in the officer's living wing at the SPD headquarters. To say he had mixed feelings about being here was an understatement. With the SPD facility explosion the day before, he would much rather be out there with the rest of his team than be sitting here. But, it was Commander Cruger's order to meet with him privately that kept him here.
One thing he knew about Cruger was that the Commander didn't wish to meet privately unless there was an important reason behind it. So, whatever it was, Sky would wait and see. As he sat there, he thought about the day previous. Early reports from intelligence was indicating that evidence was found at the location, among the rubble. Evidence that pointed to a bombing, rather than gas leaks, like Sky had first suspected. But, with this being a possible bombing, it made things a lot more complicated. Especially for Space Patrol Delta.
The building was an SPD facility, so it's entirely possible that it was a planned bombing. If that were the case, Sky knew they'd have to find out who set the bomb and why. Not to mention bring that individual down.
Sky himself had spent the past sixteen hours helping the local police, and SPD officers going through the wreckage, trying to locate survivors. And so far, they'd only found three survivors. Those three survivors were badly burned. It would take several surgeries to repair the damage done to one of those three survivors. A grim look came over Sky's face. There was at least seven hundred fifty people unaccounted for that were in the building when the bomb went off.
Seven hundred fifty. Sky ran the number through his head a few times. Shaking his head, he looked down. The uniform he now wore felt natural on him. It wasn't the blue uniform, but the red he now wore. He'd been the Red SPD Power Ranger now for almost six months and so far, he believed he'd done a decent job as leader of the B Squad, but that was really for Commander Cruger to decide, not himself.
He heard the doors slide open and Sky looked up in time to see Commander Cruger at the doorway. Sky got up and stood at attention, saluting the Commander of SPD. "Sir." he said.
Anubis 'Doggie' Cruger nodded at Sky. "Sky, come on in. Thank you for coming."
Sky followed Cruger into his private office. Cruger's office was spacious with the back wall where his desk was completely glass, showing a beautiful view of not only the sky, but of New Tech City as well. And seeing the view, Sky saw the smoke billowing upwards at a certain spot, indicating the building that blew up the day before. And he was reminded yet again of recent events.
"Commander, you said you wanted to meet with me privately." Sky said after a moment.
Cruger nodded as he walked over behind his desk. He placed his hands on the back of his chair. "Yes, I did." Cruger looked down at his desk for a moment, then he returned his gaze to Sky. "Sky, first I wanted to say this to you. From day one, I knew you would eventually become the Red Ranger. I knew you'd make a terrific Power Ranger once you leanred some things. I've watched you grow and mature as a person, and as a Ranger and it's been an honor to see. You've learned patience, maturity, self discipline, courage, but most of all, you've learned when to lead, and when to follow. These are all traits that a leader has to have. And you have learned them well. You are a great Red Ranger. A great leader of B Squad."
Hearing the words, the impassioned speech from Cruger, Sky felt a swell of pride surge through him and he stood even straighter. "Thank you, Commander. I have tried to lead the B Squad to the best of my ability."
"And you have done an excellent job." Cruger replied, "Crime has decreased seventeen percent since I promoted you to Red Ranger, not to mention people are starting to look to us with admiration, instead of trepidation. The public's faith in us was shaken with Gruum's attacks last year. With how long it took us to capture him."
"But sir..." Sky started to say.
Cruger held a hand up. "The past is the past, Sky. We can't change it, we can only look to improve the future. Which is what you and the B Squad are doing." Cruger told him. "Which brings me to why I asked you here. The main reason."
Sky stayed silent, watching Cruger.
Commander Cruger seeemed to struggle with his words slightly. "It's going to be announced tomorrow, Sky, but I wanted you to know right now, so you can prepare the other Rangers for it. It's going to be a shock to many people."
"What is, sir?" Sky asked.
Cruger looked Sky in the eyes. "The Council of Intergalactic Policing Affairs has promoted Supereme Commander Birdy. As of tomorrow morning, he is going to be Chancellor Birdy."
It was shock that colored Sky's face. His mouth opened and he didn't quite know what to say.
Cruger continued. "Out of Birdy's promotion is going to come new appointments. This is where things get hard." Cruger stopped a moment. "The Council has offered me the position of Supreme Commander."
Sky understood what the Commander was trying to say. He'd have to leave Earth. "What are you going to do, sir?"
"Sky, I'm accepting the appointment. There are a lot of problems at Galaxy Command right now. The wrong people are in charge up there and it's ruining what Galaxy Command was created to be. I'm accepting the position for a lot of reasons, but I believe I need to be up there. If for no other reason, than to make things better. For everyone."
"Commander, I agree with you. I think this is the right decision." Sky said.
Cruger turned around, gazed outside. "This comes at a bad time, I know. Yesterday's bombing of our own research facility is going to demand much of SPD's time."
"I know, sir. And I'm prepared to whatever's necessary to find the person responsible."
Cruger nodded. "Good. I'm glad to hear that. Sky, there's something else."
"Sir?"
"As Supreme Commander, I'm being given the responsibility to appoint my replacement here. I'm promoting Kat. I believe she is more than capable of handling the responsibilities that I've had over the years. I believe she'll make an excellent SPD Commander." Cruger said, "However, she is going to need you. And the other B Squad members. I think the coming months are going to be difficult on everyone. I want to ask you to treat her as you would me. Trust her decisions and her orders. But most of all, help her keep Earth safe."
Sky nodded. "Commander, you can believe me when I tell you that Kat will be shown nothing but the same respect I've shown you. You have no need to worry. New Tech City and Earth will be in safe hands."
And the future Supreme Commander Cruger nodded once, but as he gazed outside, he hoped in his heart that those words would stay true. But he didn't know.
He just didn't know.
*****
New Tech City
August 10, 2026
8:15 am
A white SPD standard issue jeep entered parking lot 9, adjacent to the SPD headquarters in New Tech City. Inside the jeep, SPD officer and current B Squad member Sydney Drew drove the jeep into her assigned parking spot and, after cutting the engine, exited the vehicle. She carried a newspaper in her right hand.
Entering headquarters, she unfolded the newspaper and looked at the headline for the dozenth time. It was another Stranger bombing. The headline read 'STRANGER STRIKES AGAIN'. And in the article, it mentions how the faith in SPD was not as strong as it used to be. Many people believed that the B Squad should have already captured the Stranger.
It'd been six months ago that the B Squad was first assigned to the Stranger case. Just after Doggie Cruger became Supreme Commander of SPD, and after Kat Manx became SPD's Commander, a message was delivered. It was delivered to one of New Tech City's local police stations. It was a single sheet of parchment. The message was simple. The McAllister Building was only the beginning. There will be many more before I'm done. And it was signed simply, the Stranger. That's when it became known as the Stranger bombing.
And it would have stayed the Stranger bombing, but within that same month, three more heavily populated buildings were destroyed through bombs, the same type of bombs as well and more messages were left. To the Stranger, it was a game of cat and mouse. Him vs the B Squad Power Rangers.
But it wasn't a game. Not to Syd. And definitely not to the B Squad. People were dying. People were already dying. And as each day came and went, more and more people were in doubt that the B Squad could handle this crisis. Or that Kat Manx should be leading SPD. Or that she was even fit to fill the shoes that Doggie Cruger left. Things were tense, and getting worse.
And now, here it is six months later, and at least twenty five bombings throughout California and other American states have been accredited to the Stranger and the Power Rangers haven't been able to get a solid lead that could help them stop the Stranger.
Syd stepped off the elevator as she reached the right floor and she headed straight towards the bridge. The entrance doors slid open and she walked inside. Already on the bridge were Commander Manx and the other B Squad Rangers. She tossed the newspaper on a console. "Have you guys seen this?" she asked them.
Sky picked up the newspaper, unfolded it and skimmed it. As he studied it, his face tensed. "More talk about our inability to find the Stranger, or at least uncover his identity."
Kat walked over and snatched the newspaper from Sky. "What these people print are lies, guys. I don't want you to pay any attention to it. I know your doing the best you can to find the Stranger." Dressed in her black garments with her Commander credentials pinned on her lapels, Kat was easily seen as someone with authority.
"Are we?" Bridge asked.
Z turned to him. "What do you mean?"
Bridge looked at everyone. "Just that maybe we should start trying....well, some less than reputable means of investigating ."
Sky rested his hands on his hips. "Like what, Bridge?"
Bridge put his hands on the console. "We haven't tried using Piggy since this Stranger thing started. Maybe we should ask him to reach to whatever contacts he still has. Not to mention the history banks tell us that in the past, there were Power Rangers who had the means of contacting the future. Perhaps we could track down that technology and use it. See if there's anything in the future on this Stranger."
The B Squad Rangers were silent, each member contemplating Bridge's suggestions. They were, after all, good suggestions. They had used Piggy's questionable means of investigating in the past. When Gruumm was invading, they had. Of course, Piggy had been double dealing as well.
"Using Piggy is not an option." Commander Kat finally said. "He's been really making an effort to change his ways since we defeated Gruumm. We shouldn't ask anything like this of him, unless it's absolutely necessary. As far as the Time Force technology, when SPD was established here, Galaxy Command came and seized it. Birdy believed having it could effect the future, so he locked it away in storage somewhere."
"Great," Z said, "so we're back to square one."
Sky looked up, "guys, I know we've gone this route before, but I think maybe we should talk to King Rufus again. Or at least I should."
"That was a dead end, Sky." Kat pointed out. "He couldn't help us six months ago."
Sky shook his head, "no, he wouldn't help us. Look, the Stranger, whoever he is, in order for him to make these bombs, he needs equipment. Parts. King Rufus deals in information exchange. He knows something. That much I'm sure of. We should have questioned him further. Or at least brought him in."
Kat responded. "There are a lot of reasons why I refused to authorize his arrest, Sky. If we brought King Rufus in, even if it was just for questioning, we would have risked a possible riot among the citizens. They wouldn't like that we're using known gangsters for information. We couldn't risk it, then, and we can't do it now. I'm sorry Sky, the answer is no."
Sky sighed, but he nodded once.
"So, what do we do now?" Syd asked.
Kat addressed them. "I want all four of you on your normal patrol routes. The Stranger isn't our only priority right now. We need for the citizens of New Tech City to see your faces, out among them, it'll make them feel safer and maybe, just maybe, some of that faith will be restored that we've lost in recent months."
The four B Squad members saluted. "Let's do it guys." Sky said.
Each of them headed out in a different direction. Each of them had a different assigned patrol route, though they eventually intersected with each other, it was still their personal routes. And Kat was right, the people needed to see their faces among them.
*****
New Tech City
Unknown location
8:30 am, same day
Inside of a dark cavernlike room, the Stranger stood. Buried in his black cape and hood, he stood near a table that contained different parts and pieces. He was working on his next bomb. This one, once ignited, wouldn't just destroy a single building. Half a city block would be decimated this time.
It was time to escalate things with the Power Rangers. The Stranger was tiring of the game at it's current stage. He had an agenda and he wanted it to hurry along. He'd come back to Earth with the same goal in mind, total and complete destruction of not only the city, but of the B Squad SPD Power Rangers as well.
He knew it started with the city, it had to. But it would end with their deaths. For the last six months, he'd destroyed building after building, facility after facility. And he purposefully left small clues behind, hoping SPD would detect it and put them on his trail. But they hadn't noticed the clues, hadn't found what he'd left behind. And so, he'd escalate things, make things more serious.
Looking down at the parts, the Stranger realized that he was missing a single piece. The energy center he had wasn't strong enough to cause the damage he wanted. He'd have to get one that was stronger. He knew where he'd go. Same place he'd been going for the past few weeks. The Stranger didn't worry about being ratted out by anyone at the place he'd go to, because they all feared him. The few of the who'd seen what remained of his face saw enough to be deathly afraid of him, of what he was capable of. And it was that fear that the Stranger loved. That fear he'd use to his advantage to get what he wanted.
As he left his private dwelling, he thought about how fun it would be to watch the chaos erupt when his new bomb leveled a different section of the city. And he thought about the Power Ranhgers, too stupid to catch his clues. He laughed.
*****
New Tech City
The King's Club
9:00 am, same day
The King's Club was one of those clubs that was open all the time. They required a ten dollar entrance fee at the door, and then you paid for whatever you wanted. If you just wanted something to drink, they had that. If you wanted something else, well in most cases, they could help you as well.
It was owned by a man named King Rufus. King Rufus wasn't human. He was, in fact, an alien from the planet Belcor and he had blue scaly skin with ridges over his eyes. He was six feet tall with four arms instead of two. King Rufus first came to New Tech City on Earth in 2010 and established his club. As the years rolled by, King Rufus dabbled his claws in more and more illegal activities. Black market dealing in many platforms, he became known as someone who could get whatever it was that you wanted. His name spread like wildfire. You wanted it, chances were, he could get it for you.
It was when Sky Tate was first at the SPD Academy that he first found out about King Rufus. Because King Rufus never broke the main laws of SPD, Commander Cruger let Rufus stay in business. That, and there was the fact that at one time, Rusus saved Cruger's life and, in return, Rufus's only favor to Cruger was to stay away.
And Cruger did just that, making sure Rufus's business and SPD's never became entangled. As long as King Rufus's dealings never caused major harm. And for the most part, they hadn't. Rufus made sure never to deal with certain areas, or with certain individuals. He didn't after all, want anything to jeapordize his business, or his club.
And Sky liked coming here because the atmosphere was relaxed, both human and alien came here and didn't have to worry about being hassled. It was nice, for both types of citizens. But six months ago, Sky had believed that King Rufus's dealings had crossed a line, that Rufus knew about the Stranger, or at least knew how to find the Stranger. But King Rufus wouldn't give anything away. Whether he knew something or not, he wouldn't say. And the newly appointed Commander, Kat Manx, knew about Rufus's history with Cruger and tried to look out for Rufus, as much as she was able.
And despite Kat's words, the doors to the King's Club opened, and Sky Tate entered. The alien that approached him, the doorman, did so with trepidation as he spotted the SPD credentials. But he spoke gruffly. "Red Ranger, ten dollars or you go no further."
Sky simply looked at him. "I can bring you to headquarters and put you in holding if you don't get out of my way."
It was enough to shut the alien up as he quickly got out of the way. Sky scanned the floor until he found who he was looking for. HE walked over to the bar and he sat down on a stool. "How you doing, Hub?" Sky asked.
The bartender, a human male with dark hair and gray eyes, turned around and, with a grumpy look on his old face, gtlared at Sky. Hubbard Rave was a fifty six year old man who'd lived in New Tech City most of his life. Even in the older days, when it wasn't even known as New Tech City. In those days, Hubbard had been a struggling businessman, just trying to make ends meet. Then, when aliens started being welcomed to the city as citizens, everything had changed.
The King's Club had opened and one day, King Rufus himself had seen old Hub on the street and recognizing one struggling person to another, had offered him work at his club and the rest was history. Hub had been bartending here ever since. That haed been fifteen years ago. Now, Hub tried to muster a smile at the SPD Ranger. Sky had, after all, saved this city last year. "What are you doing here, Sky? You know your not welcome after you tried harrassing King Rufus six months ago."
Sky leaned his forearms on the table. "Look, I won't waste your time or mine, I need to see King Rufus. Things are a lot worse now than they were then. We have to find the Stranger and I know King knows something. There's something he won't tell me, and I'm not leaving until I talk to him."
Hub shook his head. "You never learn, kid. All it'll take from me is a nod and all eight of the bouncers standing in here will come straight at you. And as tough as I know ya are, even you won't be able to beat em all off. So, just get outta here, okay Sky."
Sky stared straight back at Hub. "You call your boys on me, Hub, and when I come to, I'll make sure this club is watched twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. All the shady things King's been doing, the black market deals, the drugs and money racketeering, all of it, will end. King Rufus will be arrested and sentenced. I'll see to it." Sky told him. "Believe it or not, that's not what I'm trying to do. I want to talk to him, find out what he knows, that's all."
Hub started to say something, but a voice to their right stopped him. "It's alright, Hub. You can go on."
"Yes, King." Hub glared one last time at Sky, then he walked off, going through a side door towards the back.
And King Rufus walked forward, towards Sky. King Rufus, with his scaly skin and glowing green eyes, was at least six feet tall, and he was massively muscular, but the clothes he wore were neatly concealing of that muscle. He enjoyed human clothing. Especially the business suits, which is what he wore today. A two piece black and white suit, especially tailored to fit his extra two arms. King Rufus crossed all four arms over his massive chest and spoke. "Sky Tate, Red SPD Power Ranger." he huffed. "Figured you'd be back."
"You know why I'm here." Sky simply said. "You know about the Stranger bombings."
"Can't help but know about them." King replied. "Buildings are dropping like flies in the city these days. And you and yours can't find this guy."
Sky stood up, and yet he was still looking up to see King's eyes. "We were here six months ago, and you wouldn't give me any information about this guy. I know there's something.....something you wouldn't say then. Something I'm asking you to tell me now. I need whatever information you can give me."
King Rufus looked away for a few seconds, towards the window, looking outside. Then, his glowing eyes turned back to Sky. "The Stranger, he isn't human, Sky. I'm not entirely sure what he is. I know only a few things about him. I'll tell you what I know, then I want you out. And I don't want to see your face in my club again, not with that uniform on. Do we understand each other?"
Sky nodded. "Perfectly."
"Good." King said. "I don't know who or what the Stranger is....but I do know that he hates Space Patrol Delta with a vengeance. He wants to see SPD suffer."
"Kind of figured that." Sky replied. "How did you first find out about this guy?"
"I first met the Stranger over a year ago. I'm closing the books on the club one day....Hub had already gone home and this shadow fills my doorway. I look up and this guy is standing in my doorway. Covered in a black cape with a hood on. I couldn't see his face hardly, just his eyes and part of his lower face. His eyes were orange, if you can believe that."
Sky's brows burrowed. "Orange, really?"
King nodded. "Yeah, strange is what I thought too. But the other part, what I saw of his face....it's even stranger. There was the right side, then the left."
Sky shook his head. "What do you mean?"
"You know, his right side looked normal, even for whatever species of alien he is, but his left side was covered in wires or circuitry.....it looked robotic to me. I don't know. It was just wierd. Anyway, he's standing there and I said to him 'who the hell are you, what do you want', and he asked me 'are you King Rufus'."
"And..." Sky prompted.
"I said yeah. He asked me if I could get him parts if he paid me." King said. "I said yes, of course. He became a customer that night. I didn't know what he was planning to do with the stuff. Didn't really care.....as long as it didn't effect me or my club."
"And now that you see it does?" Sky asked.
"We best not get into that, Tate." King replied. "Regardless, I got him the parts, never asked, he never said. Then, the explosions started happening and I figured the rest out for myself. By then, I was too disgusted with myself to come forward with what I knew. And six months ago, when you and your team came here, I didn't tell you because Doggie wasn't the Commander anymore and this Kat Manx had no reason to watch out for me."
"So, why finally tell me now, King?" Sky asked.
"Because the Stranger wants not only to destroy you and yours, but he wants to bring this city to it's knees. He'll destroy everything and anything to do it, including me. I'm telling you in hopes that you'll honor Doggie Cruger's promise to me, to stay away from me as long as I don't cross the lines that he laid down. And I haven't."
This time, Sky looked outside. Everything that was SPD about him told him to cuff King Rufus and bring him in, drill him until maybe he told him something else he could use. But Sky owed Supreme Commander Cruger and because of that, he'd stand by Cruger's word. "I'll honor what Supreme Commander Cruger promised to you. But, if I find out you know more than you're telling and I have to come back here," Sky said, making sure those glowing eyes were looking at his, "all bets are off."
"Understood, Red Ranger." King said. Then, King turned and walked off. Sky, likewise, turned and walked away. Sky walked towards the entrance door and he left the King's Club, turning right and walking towards the parking lot.
As walked across the parking lot, he happened to look towards his right and what he saw stopped him in his tracks. As King Rufus had described him, the Stranger wore a black cape with a hood over his head and most of his face was obscured. But, it was the orange eyes that Sky saw....eyes that looked right at Sky. And when they did, the rest of that body froze as well. It was in that moment that Sky knew what he was seeing. Who he was seeing. After six months of not having a single lead, a single break in the Stranger bombings case, the biggest one of all was landing right in Sky's lap.
Because the Stranger was standing not fifteen feet from him. And then, suddenly, the Stranger leaped and ran towards his right, away from Sky. Without thinking, without stalling and going on pure instinct, Sky took off, giving chase.
*****
More of episode 1 to come tomorrow.