Legacy of Power: The Machine War

[Knuckles]

Part I: Dawn of Ruin

The explosion was devestating. An intense eruption of sparks suddenly burst forth from the array of consoles, searing part of the young man’s left arm as he continued to hold onto the ship’s main controls, the feel of his burnt skin causing his vision to blur in pain. With a quick forward motion, he sent the ship spiralling into an escape trajectory, managing for a brief moment to escape the blasts from the fighters close behind.

“Aai yi yi yi yi! Main power failing, hull breeches on all decks, atmospheric pressure falling!” Alpha paused as another blast violently shook the Astro Megaship. “Back-up generators are still non-responsive…”

The following blast which hit the ship flung the unbalanced Alpha to the ground, the panel to his main processor being ripped off in the process, exposing delicate circuitry which was now completely fried. The neon-red light to his visor quickly began to fade before blinking out of all existence.

“Alpha!”

Andros chanced a quick look back, sparks bursting from all directions and smoke filling every orifice of his lungs as fire began to quickly spread. His entire line of sight suddenly jerked to one side as the next deadly explosion threw him hard across the bridge. His head hit the side of a console, blood seeping from the wound as he struggled to hold on to full consciousness. Rising to his feet, he staggered towards the exit.

As the automatic doors slowly slid open, several metallic sounds began to resonate through the inner corridors of the ship. Andros tried to increase his speed, urgency fuelling him on, as he reached for his morpher to flip open the casing.

“Let’s Rocket!”

Inputting the code: 3-3-5, he felt the familiar surge of power rise from within him, slightly rejuvenating his strength, as he morphed into the Red Space Ranger. As explosions continued to rage on from all sides, Andros ran forward, suddenly skidding to a halt as the doors up ahead slid open to reveal the forms of the familiar looking androids.

Knowing that time was precious, Andros quickly restarted his run, choosing the right moment to execute a lightning quick double drop kick which sent the two Cogs sailing through the air. Flipping back up onto his feet, Andros hurried on, finally reaching the hanger which housed his galaxy glider.

“Ugh!”

He dived forward, narrowly avoiding the falling beam which crashed onto the ground where he was a moment before. In the next moment, he prepared to launch off, the very structure of the Astro Megaship coming apart with every hit…


Trailing behind the impressive fleet of quadra fighters, the vast presence of a Flying Fortress loomed ever closer. As soon as the Astro Megaship got into range, it powered up it’s main weapons. Without a word of warning the Machine Empire suddenly fired, the fierce energy stream piercing through the hull of the ship and causing it to rupture into a dazzling explosion. As the resulting shock-wave slowly began to fade, all that was left was a sea of hazardous debris.

----------

Several Days Later…

The screams were deafening. All around him he could hear the horrific pain-filled cries of the dying, their voices thick with blood and tears. He tried to shut them out, tried to close his eyes and keep out the deadly images but this act was simply impossible. He was forced to look on in horror and pain as the resisting Aquitarians were swiftly dealt with, almost feeling every crushing blow that was sent to their stomachs or launched at their faces.

“No! Stop!”

Billy suddenly tried to rise to his feet, but instantly saw his vision blur as a metallic fist slammed hard into his face. He landed face-down on the ground, unable to counter with his hands still tied behind his back. The new reddening bruise merged with the ones obtained in the previous battle leading to his capture.

Strong hands dragged him half-upright as the surrounding Cogs pushed him back into line, down onto his knees with the other Aquitarians. The hallway of the underwater city continued to be filled with marching Cogs and the sound of the raging battle topside, as the rangers of Aquitar made their final stand.

Through two swollen eyes Billy looked up at the new improved Cogs, several enhancements having been made since their last encounter on Earth. They now appeared more sleeker and agile in design, able to react more quickly but still retaining a moderate level of power and strength. Billy slowly lowered his gaze, silently wishing that he had taken his power morpher with him to Aquitar, and at the same time, wondering how long it would be that they would keep him alive.

The sudden sound of crying came from those at his side, his confusion fading as he realised that the sounds of battle had ceased. There was no mistaking the victor … the Alien Rangers had fallen at the hands of the Machine Empire.

----------

Earth, Angel Grove…

The young woman silently stared at her familiar surroundings, a faint smile hovering lightly on her lips and gentle tears beginning to form in her eyes. A strange fusion of both sadness and joy filled her heart as she continued to store her treasured possessions into the nearby cardboard boxes. For so long this place had been her home, it had defined her into who she was today, and now as she prepared to leave she couldn’t help but feel these mixed emotions.

Kat wiped away a stray tear, her hands stopping to slowly reach out for the single framed photo resting above the fireplace. She smiled once more, lost in the reminiscence of the memory. She was going to miss them: Rocky, Adam, Jason and Tanya; the years of being a ranger had created an unbreakable bond between them, one that she knew would carry on even in Reefside.

It had been several months since Tommy had both started a teaching job in the local high school and bought a new place. It was their plan for Kat to finish off the full school term as literature teacher in Angel Grove High, before finally leaving to meet him there. Kat couldn’t help but still feel slightly nervous, but as long as she was with Tommy, nothing else mattered.

“… Aagh!”

Kat suddenly screamed as the apartment’s windows simultaneously shattered inwards, sending jagged pieces of glass hurling into the room. Dark metallic figures quickly stepped into the room. It took Kat a brief moment to actually realise what they were, her heart suddenly filled with dread as the Cogs raced towards her.

Raising her left arm, Kat quickly blocked the oncoming punch that was sent towards her, before ducking down low to avoid the swing of another. Countering with a sidewards elbow strike, she struck one of the Cogs in its stomach whilst turning on her feet to deliver a sharp standing kick to the first.

Adrenaline pumping fast, the wind was suddenly knocked from her lungs as she was hit hard in her stomach, sending her reeling backwards and allowing the Cogs to advance. In the corner of her eyesight she could see more Cogs arrive via the window, their numbers growing with every passing second. Shifting her gaze to one side, she caught sight of her Zeonizer atop of the nearby desk.

Kat attempted a roundhouse kick, but the execution was off due to the hit to her stomach. The kick managed to connect against two, but the others kept their distance, awaiting their chance to counter. Her scream soon filled the air as several Cogs hit her from both sides, her body unable to block all of the hits, before she was roughly hurled to the ground.

The last thing she remembered seeing was the shadow of a strange figure, before the metallic laugh confirmed the identity … Archerina. Her mind was suddenly cast into darkness, as the sharp blow to the back of her head rendered her unconscious.

----------

Some time later, the Machine Fortress…

He silently stood there, eyes staring down at the partial blue and green orb of Earth, his hands clenched into fists, filled with utter hatred. From up there in space it looked almost beautiful, but it was a beauty that he had not hesitation to destroy. Everything was slowly falling into place, and soon it would not be long before humanity would bow down to the might of the Machine Empire.

Prince Gasket slowly turned as he witnessed the reflection of Archerina approaching him in the window. “Is everything prepared?”

“It is, my love.” She answered, turning with him to face the planet below. “Phase one of our plan is almost complete. With that pesky Red Space Ranger dealt with, and both Triforia and Aquitar now under our control, only the rangers on Mirinoi are left.”

“Excellent. With the Earth cut off from all possible outside help its defence will lie solely in the hands of its own rangers…” He finally began to smile. “Soon my love, soon they will pay for the humiliation that they have caused us, and the glory of the Machine Empire will finally be restored!” He paused, revelling in the sensation of what was to come, before suddenly turning, his sword held high in his hands. “It is time. Begin phase two…”


End of Part I

[metallicarmor2009]

THIS IS AWESOME!!! Keep it going!

[Windgrail]

One suggestion: Put more story around the dialogue rather than having them on their own. It just looks better.

Great job, though.

[Knuckles]

Thanks guys.

Windgrail - Of course dialogue is important, but it wasn't really necessary for this first part since Andros / Kat / Billy were pretty much on their own.

[Atticus]

I like it...

[Dragon Warrior]

Oh snap!:eek: Can't wait for the next part.

[Knuckles]

Thanks. You won't have to wait long for the next part, it will be here tomorrow morning.

[Windgrail]

What I meant was the quotes by themselves didn't look right. Ex: "...Aagh!"

It doesn't take away from the story, it just stands out a bit more than I like.

[y3k]

wait, so Andros is dead?

[Knuckles]

Oh ok. I get what you mean now.

y2ktm2 - I guess you'll have to wait and find out.

[ranger fan 9000]

great story! Did you post this at ranger base a while back there was a srtory there that was kinda like this.

[y3k]

Originally posted by Knuckles

y2ktm2 - I guess you'll have to wait and find out.

grrr....damn you!:D

[bjlovel]

Great story. Can't wait to read the next one.

[comicstar100]

Originally posted by bjlovel
Great story. Can't wait to read the next one. Very nice job knuckles. I Can't wait to read the next part.:cool:

[Knuckles]

Thanks guys.

ranger fan 9000 - When Rangerbase first came around, I had started a fic that centered around the Zeo rangers and an attack from the Machine Empire, but I never got very far or finished it since other things came up. So this time I decided rejig the original idea and make it a full blown war against all the rangers teams.

[Knuckles]

Part II: Strategic Strike

He silently made his way along the familiar corridors of Lightspeed headquarters, his mature lined features framed with some concern as he continued to head onwards towards the main room of operations. As the double door slowly slid open, Captain Mitchell instantly caught sight of Mrs Fairweather who greeted him upon his arrival. Turning to follow as she beckoned towards a nearby console, she ripped off the printed readout before handing it to him to look over.

She then turned back to face the console, seeing that the network was still inoperable. “It happened a few minutes ago. All at once our surveillance satellites suddenly stopped transmitting and we can’t determine the cause.”

“Could it be a glitch in the system?”

“If it was only one, then yeah, maybe…” She slowly took off her glasses, rubbing her tired eyes. “But it’s not only one, its happened to the entire network.”

Captain Mitchell fell silent for a moment. “Do we have the last streams of data that were recorded?”

“Yes, our technicians are going over it now, but so far there is nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Analysis?” He asked, folding his arms.

“It’s only pure speculation at this point...” She waited as he nodded for her to continue. “But this is definitely not a simple fault in the system, this has to have been done deliberately. With the satellites disabled, there is no way for us to keep track of movements here on Earth, or in space.”

Captain Mitchell nodded in understanding. “Let’s not take any chances. Go to priority three alert and prepare to assemble the rangers.”

----------

Two Days Later, Angel Grove…

Sleep had been impossible, his very presence turned into a mere shadow as he stood there in the apartment, crouching down low with his back against the far wall. His eyes were framed with a deep red tint, his face showing clear signs of the obvious lack of rest, but still he would not sleep. Last night, like all the others, he had tried to search for her, had searched through the city streets in a continuous grief and rage stricken daze, but found nothing of her disappearance.

It must have been over a week now since Kat had first disappeared, a week since he had dropped everything in Reefside to head back to Angel Grove. The police had left several hours before, arriving to report that no progress in their investigation had been made. Though signs of a struggle were clear, no other evidence could be found. Tommy slowly lifted up his gaze as Tanya, Adam, Rocky and Jason entered.

“A-Anything?” Tommy’s heart sank as they each nodded no.

Jason headed over to his friend, crouching down there beside him. “Tommy … you should try and get some sleep. There’s not much more we can do right now.”

“Sleep?” He turned to gaze off into the distance. “That’s the last thing on my mind.”

“It will be alright.” Began Rocky. “Whatever it takes, we’ll find her.”

Adam continued to remain silent, comforting Tanya who was also taking this really hard. He couldn’t help but feel a dark feeling in the pit of his stomach. He would never believe that Kat could have been taken by simple kidnappers, it had to be something else, and he knew that Tommy was beginning to think this.

Jason slowly rose to his feet before walking over to the others. He kept his voice to a hushed whisper. “He’s still blaming himself for all this. He keeps believing that he should have been here to protect her.”

“What are we going to do? How are we even going to find her?” Questioned Adam, solemnly.

“I don’t know. We’ve just gotta keep on searching….” He glanced over at Tommy. “… And not give up hope.”

----------

Elsewhere, Blue Bay Harbor…

The vast expanse of beautiful green forest was filled with the sound of ruffled leaves being lightly crushed by the movements of his footsteps. The young traveler continued to make his way through the familiar woodlands, following an invisible route drawn from memory and the very faint sound of the nearby waterfall. Cam slowly looked up as a light flowing breeze caused the overhanging branches to stir.

“It’s been a while.” He thought, before taking another step forward.

Halfway through the next stride a sudden sight caused Cam to shift his body into a defensive stance. In an instant the background forest noise quickly ceased and a dozen masked ninjas appeared there before him. Cam let out a small smile, before another presence made itself known.

“… Cam?” The young woman broke out into a grin as she quickly drew him into a tight hug. “Cam, how are you? It’s been so long.”

“It has, hasn’t it.” He replied, still smiling.

Tori turned to the assembled ninja students, indicating that the day’s lesson was over. They soon streaked out of sight. As the forest resumed its quiet slumber, the two set off together towards the hidden Wind Ninja Academy. “Are you staying long?” She asked, seeing his face lost in the memories of the surroundings. “Though he doesn’t really talk about it, Sensei’s really missed you.”

“Maybe. I mean, I didn’t really plan on finishing my second trip just yet. I don’t know, I’ve just been getting this really weird feeling lately, like there’s this dark shadow on the horizon…” He saw the look on Tori’s features. “Or maybe it’s just my subconscious telling me that I’m missing both this place and you guys.”

Tori’s smile slowly faded. “Well, come to think of it, Sensei has been acting rather strange lately, and he’s been meditating a lot more than usual. Maybe he senses something too?”

Cam silently nodded as the two stepped through the secret entrance inside the waterfall, disappearing from sight.

----------

Mirinoi, Terra Colony…

Once more it had begun.

With a thundering roar the sound of quadra fighters filled the clear blue sky, causing a deafening alarm to sound through the operations base and three young men to quickly run towards the exit. The corridors were filled with with uniformed officers racing to their stations, and the sight of pilots scrambling to their jets. Reaching the nearby intersection, the three were soon joined by the two female members of their team.

Wordlessly they ran on. This was to mark the third consecutive day of the Machine Empire’s unrelenting siege, a siege that sought to destroy the entire colony. The machine forces were led by the beautiful yet deadly Archerina, who would not stop the attacks until total conquest had been achieved. Leo, Maya, Damon, Kendrix and Kai soon emerged out into the open, reaching for their morphers as the colony’s jet fighters launched to intercept the Cogs in the air.

“Go, Galactic!”

As one they each activated their morphers, the power surging through them as they morphed into the Galaxy Rangers. They soon came into sight of the next wave of approaching Cogs, Archerina’s unmistakable form bringing up the lead.

Leo took a step forward, pushing aside the pain of the injuries gained from the last few battles. “Give it up, Archerina! You’ll never take the colony!”

Kai stood by his side, clenching his fists. “We’ll defend it to the end…”

The sound of Archerina’s laughter sent a chill down the base of their spines. “… That is what we had hoped.” Raising her free hand, she gave the signal for the Cogs to attack.

Leo chanced a quick look at his friends, watching as they all nodded with him. No matter what, they had to protect the colony - hundreds of lives were at stake. Shouting out a loud battle cry, the rangers ran once more into battle.

----------

Earth, the White House…

The President of the United States sat motionlessly at his desk, tired and well worn eyes slowly glancing over a lengthy worded document on the current state of affairs. Within minutes he soon gave up the task, rubbing his eyes as he placed the report face down. He sighed deeply, turning in his chair to gaze out at the vast lawn outside.

A sudden stream of light caused the President to blink rapidly, as several mechanic beings teleported directly in front of the White House. Prince Gasket rose the tip of his blade towards the building, channeling a jolt of powerful energy which soon headed straight towards him. Mere seconds presented itself to avoid the full impact of the blast, as the President turned to jump out of the way, its force ripping apart both glass and brick.

“Cogs! Attack!” Prince Gasket ordered.

Upon hearing the explosion the secret service quickly rushed to the President’s aid, freezing in shock as they saw the Machine Empire’s forces. They quickly snapped out of their daze in order to protect him. Firing off round after round, their bullets bounced harmlessly over the Cog’s enhanced forms, before the machines soon reached physical attack range.

The fight was quick and decisive - the men were simply no match for the Cogs. Stepping over the rubble, Prince Gasket headed towards the cowering President, his eyes shimmering a deep red. For a moment he poised as if to strike, before just as quickly lowering his sword.

“So, Mr President. We meet at last…”


End of Part II

[y3k]

oooh.....sweetness........pure sweetness.....I MUST HAVE MORE!:D

[Ryuranger]

Your writing is excellent. Keep this coming.

[bjlovel]

This is going to be great if u keep it up. can't wait till the next one. Good Job.

[Knuckles]

Thanks guys. I'm halfway through the third part, so it should be here by maybe Monday.

[Guru Bishisama]

*blinks*
You are my hero.

[Knuckles]

Er, thanks. :)

[comicstar100]

Stuff like this is why I read fanfics. Awsome Knuckles.:cool:

[Knuckles]

Sorry about the little wait but I've been busy with a few things from Uni and tomorrow I'm off to be a part of the recording of Gamesville (that video games program on Sky One.) So expect a new part now by Thursday.

[Knuckles]

Part III: Shadows of War

The darkness began to recede, his vision beginning to focus, becoming gradually clearer as full consciousness finally returned. It took a full moment more before he started to feel the deep pain in his side, bringing with it fragmented memories of what he last remembered. He silently lay there, trying to breathe out slowly, before realisation dawned that he did not recognisable his surroundings.

Andros quickly sat upright, finding that he was in some sort of medical bay, whilst both his chest and left arm were bandaged, already in the process of healing. Holding his hand to his head as a wave of dizziness came over him, Andros pushed himself off of the monitoring table and tried to place his feet on the ground. His attention was then drawn to one side as a nearby door suddenly opened.

“… Andros!” The young man rushed to his friend’s side, helping him to balance as he tried to regain his footing. “Hold on, take it easy.”

Andros reluctantly sat back down by the edge of the bed, the dizziness still overwhelming. Flashes of the explosion filled his mind. “Zhane, w-what happened?”

“I came as quickly as I could. When I got your distress call I followed it back to your last known co-ordinates, and from there it wasn’t hard to follow the Machine Empire’s trail.” He paused, knowing how close it had been. “When the Astro Megaship exploded … I didn’t know what to think. I kept myself out of their sensor range while scanning the debris, hoping to find some sign that you had survived…”

Andros slowly nodded. “The last thing I remember was escaping the full force of the explosion, or so I thought. The shock-wave quickly caught up with me and I was thrown completely from my glider.”

“I found you among the debris, barely alive and the last of the oxygen in your suit gone. If I had gotten there a little later, or you hadn’t sustained your morphed form…” Zhane let the sentence go unfinished.

“H-How long have I been out?”

“A couple of days, at least.” He watched as Andros suddenly looked up. “It’s alright. From what I can tell they haven’t yet begun their attack. Right now we’re positioned on the far side of the moon, where I’ve been trying to keep track of their movements.”

“What about the rangers? Have you contacted them?”

“I can’t. All communications to and from the planet are being jammed, and with you still unconscious, I couldn’t risk leaving you here alone in case they had found the ship…”

“You should have taken that risk…” Andros attempted to stand, his words shocking Zhane. “There isn’t much time. The Machine Empire has probably already made all the preparations that they need. We’ve got to warn the others before it’s too late!”

----------

Earth, Silver Hills…

“So, what’s the big emergency?”

The young communications officer turned in his chair to face his immediate superiors, two fellow Silver Guardians who were also known as rangers. He quickly turned and pointed to his screen, revealing the open video link to Mariner Bay. “We’ve just received an urgent communications from Lightspeed Headquarters.”

Wes and Eric approached the screen, seeing a familiar face appear in the feed. “Carter…” Began Wes, however his smile soon faded as he saw Carter’s serious look. “What’s wrong?”

“Two days ago all of our critical surveillance systems and satellites were simultaneously disabled. At first we thought it might just be a glitch, but the last fragments of recorded data seems to suggest otherwise. All indications seem to suggest that the satellites were knocked out by an electro-magnetic pulse originating from space.”

“… Space?” Inquired Eric, breaking the silence that followed.

“Or more precisely, something in space.”

Wes thought for a moment. “What do you think caused this?”

“We’re not sure. We just thought that we should give you the heads up and…” Carter was suddenly cut off as a voice to his side called out to him.

Captain Mitchell’s voice could be heard in the background: “We’ve got a serious situation.”

Carter nodded his head as he turned back to face the screen. “We’ll keep in touch…” With that the video link was closed.

----------

Reefside, Dino Hideout…

An array of both images and sounds quickly flashed across the multiple view screens, the most important being enlarged while the others were pushed into the background. Hayley continued to arrange the pieces of information that were there in front of her, her hands typing fast on the keyboard as she stared at the various security feeds and live news reports.

Ever since Tommy had left for Angel Grove, she had been trying her best to help in the search for Kat, but so far there had been no sightings of her whatsoever. In his absence the others had been keeping Mesogog’s forces at bay, but his attacks were growing more frequent and more and more ambitious.

“… Anything?”

Hayley turned as she heard Conner’s voice, seeing him approach along with Kira and Ethan. “No, nothing yet.”

Conner shook his head. “Man, I can’t even begin to imagine what Dr. O is going through.”

“None of us can.” Stated Kira, solemnly.

Ethan nodded. “And with Dr. O gone, it’s just been one fight after another.”

“Hang in there guys.” Sighed Hayley. “He wouldn’t have left Reefside if he didn’t think you could handle it…” She suddenly turned as the alarm system went off, indicating that another one of Mesogog’s creatures was terrorising the city.

“We’re on it.” Said Conner, leading the way as the three initiated their morphs.

----------

Earth’s Atmosphere…

With full force, the small ship suddenly accelerated away from its concealment on the far side of the moon, heading with all its thrust towards Earth. With all non-critical systems and life support redirected to the engines, it did not take the ship long to begin to reach the atmospheric barrier. But by this time the sensors of the Machine Fortress had already picked up the ship, launching a squad of Quadra Fighters to quickly intercept.

An intense explosion soon followed, the ship destroyed before it could even reach the lower atmosphere, leaving a trailing line of hurling debris like a small dazzling meteorite shower. As the fighters then returned to base, two lone specs on their gliders continued their journey towards Earth. As predicted, the Machine Empire had taken the bait, giving them the chance they needed to head unseen towards Angel Grove.

----------

Angel Grove…

The black jeep slowly came to halt, its engine still silently humming as Tommy rubbed the tiredness out from his eyes, unable to stay awake for much longer. Though he tried to fight it, he knew that he had to get some rest, but couldn’t help the feeling of guilt that would come of it. Finally he turned off the engine, before making his way to the nearby apartment.

As he opened the door he could hear the familiar voices from within, soon finding the others grouped together inside. It only took a moment for him to notice the looks on their faces and to follow their gaze towards the television set.

“No … it can’t be…”

Tommy openly gasped as a flickering image appeared on the screen, the mechanical being becoming more distinct as the image quickly cleared. Prince Gasket slowly folded his arms, a dark smile appearing on his features, as he almost looked down on them through his end of the camera feed. With all possible frequencies blocked, he had full control of the airwaves to broadcast his message to the entire nation.

“People of Earth, hear me. For years your precious rangers have managed to protect you from the onslaught of my father and his Machine Empire, but that time has finally come to an end. I, Prince Gasket, the new leader of the glorious machine forces, will issue in a new dawn of darkness and destruction!” He suddenly turned, nodding to the nearby Cogs who came into view with a middle aged man in their grasp. He was instantly recognisable. “You have only one hour to submit the surrender of all your rangers or I will kill your President. And if that wasn’t incentive enough…”

Tommy, Jason, Rocky, Adam and Tanya looked on in shock as a familiar figure was thrown forward. “Kat!” Shouted Tommy.

Prince Gasket smiled as he looked down at the bruised form of Kat. “One hour … or they both will die…”


End of Part III

[y3k]

a new part. YAYNESS!

[Qi]

Nicely done. Kepp it up!

[Knuckles]

Thanks guys.

[bjlovel]

Aesome, can't wait fot the next one.

[ranger fan 9000]

can't wait till the next part

[Knuckles]

Thanks. Part IV will be here soon.

[Knuckles]

I'm not entirely pleased with this part, but for some reason it was quite hard to write. Anyway, the next part will include some action...


Part IV: Choices

The silence that followed seemed to last for an eternity. The echoing stillness was finally disrupted by his sudden movement, as Jason watched Tommy shake the shock from out of his system and attempt to head towards the open apartment door. It took mere seconds to intercept him, the two young men directly facing one another as their eyes locked gaze. The tension in the air could easily be felt as Tommy took another step forward.

Once more, Jason blocked his path. “Tommy, just stop and think for a moment. What do you think you’re gonna achieve by simply rushing off on your own?” He shifted his sight to the side, causing Tommy to follow his gaze and look at his own reflection in the hallway mirror. “You’re tired, have hardly slept at all, and what, just thought you’d get there somehow and take on the entire Machine Empire alone?”

“I – I’ve just got to save her.”

“I know.” Jason placed his hand onto Tommy’s shoulder. “And we will. But there’s more at stake here than just Kat’s life, we can’t just rush into things.”

Adam nodded in agreement as he spoke. “Besides which, Gasket will be expecting some kind of rescue attempt.”

“So what are we saying?” Interjected Tanya. “That we just surrender and give ourselves up?”

“Of course not.” Continued Jason. “But no matter what we do he’s still gonna attack Earth.”

“Well whatever we do we’d better think of it fast.” Stated Rocky. “We’ve only got less than an hour to decide.”

Jason turned back to face Tommy. “We can’t do this on our own. And this is a decision that the other ranger leaders also need to make.”

Tommy reluctantly nodded his head as he rubbed his eyes one final time. “You’re right, we’ve got to call together an emergency meeting…” Reaching for his cell phone, Tommy pressed one of his speed dials, the line instantly connecting with Hayley over in Reefside. “Hayley, hi it’s me. Yeah I know, we’ve just seen it. Listen, we haven’t got much time. I need you to access my secure files and begin contacting the other ranger leaders…”

----------

A short while later, Reefside…

Conner breathed out slowly, his muscles slightly tired and weary after the long fight with Mesogog’s new creation. Unlocking the hidden passageway which led to the underground hideout, he proceeded down the stairway with both Kira and Ethan in tow. The three hardly spoke, lost in their own thoughts about what Mesogog planned to do next.

Releasing the next hidden switch, Conner suddenly took a step back as he gazed at the scene within in awe. “… Woah…”

Conner, Ethan and Kira turned to look at one another, finally stepping forward as all heads began to turn towards them. The faces that they saw were faintly familiar, images once seen and remembered from the secret files on their ranger heritage. Conner’s first impulse was to treat this as some kind of reunion, but as he saw the grave expressions that appeared on each of their features, he knew that this was much more.

“W-What’s going on?” He asked, finally.

“Take a seat.” They all turned to see that the voice belonged to Dr Oliver. As the three took a seat next to the more familiar forms of Hunter and Shane, Tommy continued: “I think that’s our best bet.”

“It could work.” Stated Carter, thinking it over. “But it will have to be a small group. That way they will remain undetected while the cities can still be protected.”

Wes nodded in agreement. “That means those left behind can prepare for the Machine Empire’s assault whilst pretending openly to surrender to Prince Gasket.”

Cole turned to Tommy. “Has there been any word from Leo?”

Tommy shook his head. “I was hoping that the Galaxy Rangers could help us out in this fight, but so far I haven’t heard anything from them.”

“What about Andros and TJ?” Inquired Eric, speaking up.

“I don’t know. They haven’t responded either.”

Hunter sighed deeply. “Time is running out. If we do this, we’ve got to do it - now.”

“Do what?” Asked Conner, still confused.

“Dude, haven’t you seen the news?” Chimed in Shane.

Jason turned to face them. “It’s the Machine Empire…”

Conner, Ethan and Kira once more turned to one another. “The Machine Empire?” They said in unison.

“Ok.” Started Tommy, pacing. “Jason, Conner, Ethan, Kira, Shane, Hunter and I will break into Mesogog’s lair. We’ve done it a few times before so it shouldn’t pose too much of a problem. Once there we’ll redirect his invisi-portal network to allow us to sneak onto the Machine Fortress while you guys fake the surrender…”

Wes nodded. “I’ll try and contact Jen and see if we can get some reinforcements from the future.”

“And by that time I should have gotten in contact with Kimberly, Zack and Trini to aid in the fight here in Angel Grove.” Said Hayley. “Hopefully by then I would have also tracked down Billy on Aquitar...”

“That’s going to be a problem...” Everyone suddenly turned to see Andros, Zhane and TJ emerge. It was Andros who spoke: “… Since Aquitar’s fallen at the hands of the Machine Empire.”

Cole looked up, seeing the injury in Andros’ movements. “What happened?”

“I was attacked whilst trying to get to Earth to warn you.”

TJ turned to Tommy. “As soon as we got your message we came as quickly as we could.”

“Prince Gasket must already have sent forces to Mirinoi.” Stated Zhane.

“Right.” Nodded Andros. “They’ll need our help.” He fell silent for a moment. “The other Space rangers and I will leave to help them. We’ll be back as soon as we can.”

Tommy nodded in agreement. “Alright, and good luck.” He then turned to the others. “Let’s do this.”

----------

Space, the Machine Fortress…

Billy quickly opened up his eyes, bracing himself against the side of the assembly line as the Cog pushed him roughly, causing him to instantly snap him out of his dazed fatigue. Once more he attempted to push the tiredness to one side and concentrated back on the task at hand. Ever since the alien rangers defeat back on Aquitar, he had been put to work along with some of the other Aquitarians on the creation of the next wave of Cogs.

It pained him. To think that every single one that passed him would aid in someway to the destruction of the cities, and eventually the total conquest of Earth. He wished there was something that he could do, but with severe fatigue and hunger, his mind was too starved to think of a solution. Though he hated to think it - all he could do now was think of his own survival.

----------

Earth, Nasada Spaceport…

“So, how are we going to get there? It’s a little too far to travel on our gliders, and not to mention the fact that a lot of fighters will be on us in a second.”

Andros turned to look back at Carlos. After having contacted him along with Cassie and Ashley, he arranged for them to meet him at the entrance to Nasada Spaceport. It had been a long time since he had seen them last, and began to notice the subtle changes that had come over them during that time. “We’re gonna borrow one of the new cruisers that have recently been developed.”

“Oh? And how do you suppose we do that?” Inquired Cassie.

TJ smiled. “With a little help from an old friend.”

As they headed into the main complex, Ashley, Carlos and Cassie smiled in surprise as they witnessed the young man who headed straight towards them. He walked with a sense of presence, with features that in any other circumstance, might not have been even recognised. To say that he had changed was an understatement.

“J-Justin?” Grinned Ashley, still in shock.

Justin smiled as he hugged and shaked the hands of his old friends. “Guys … it’s been so long.”

“It has, hasn’t it.” Agreed Carlos, not believing how much Justin had grown and physically changed. “So you work here at the spaceport?”

“Yeah. I’m a part of the special research and development team here at Nasada. With everyone knowing the situation, it didn’t take much to persuade them to let us use the new cruiser.”

Cassie smiled. “We?”

“Of course, I’m coming along with you guys. You’re not leaving me behind this time…”

“So is everything ready?” Cut in Andros, waiting as Justin nodded. “Alright. Then we’d better get going. We’ve just got to hope that Leo and the others can hold on for a while longer...”

Though no one said it out loud, the thought had already occurred that it might already be too late.

----------

Elsewhere, Reefside…

Tommy turned to the assembled team, their forms outlined by the soft golden sand beneath their feet and the sound of the nearby waves gently lapping against the shore. This was it. Once begun there was no turning back. Conner, Kira and Ethan were still mentally preparing themselves for the fight which lay ahead, while Jason, Shane and Hunter seemed more than ready.

“Ok guys, this is it. We’ve only got one shot at this … so let’s make it count.”

He quickly turned his gaze as a flash of light erupted from up ahead, signaling the arrival of Zeltrax, Elsa and a group of Tyrannodrones. The rangers shifted into their fighting stance…


End of Part IV

[y3k]

*claps*
wonderful

[comicstar100]

Awsome,the return of Justin was unexpected.:cool:

[Knuckles]

Thanks guys. :)

[bjlovel]

Your blowing me away with this. Justin... I'm still in shock. Can't wait for the next one.

[Knuckles]

Thanks Bjlovel.

[DekaBlackSG-1]

come on next part:D

[Knuckles]

Thanks. Glad people liked that part. Anyway, Part V will be here probably by tomorrow.

[Lord ZEDD]

Damn good fanfic its right up there with Forever Red the Novel and C2D the novel IMO.

[y3k]

Originally posted by Lord ZEDD
Damn good fanfic its right up there with Forever Red the Novel and C2D the novel IMO.

Did C2D ever get finished?

[Ultimate Hero]

Wow, unbeleivably awsome you are an insperation to me, serously you have just kicked Chryl Roberts out of her spot as my favorite writer. This fic is beyone comprehention the admins should most definetly put this in the archive section, wow.

[comicstar100]

Originally posted by y2ktm2
Did C2D ever get finished? Sadly no. I hope that it will one day be finished.:cool:

[Ultimate Hero]

What is C2d?

[y3k]

Originally posted by Ultimate Hero
What is C2d?

"Countdown to Destruction--the novel"

[bjlovel]

It was one of the great fics of it's time. Hope it gets finish soon.

[Knuckles]

Thanks for all the great comments guys. I really appreciate it.


Part V: Attempted Rescue

“What’s our status?”

A soft fiery glow began to envelope the entire hull of the cruiser as it quickly reached Earth’s atmosphere. Andros kept his gaze transfixed on the vast expanse of space that could be seen just up ahead, his hands now firmly used to the unfamiliar controls. It was a long moment before his question was answered, the silence broken by the continuous humming of the inner workings of the machinery and consoles.

“Main power is stable.” Came Ashley’s voice as she glanced down at the display in front of her. “Everything else is being diverted to the forward thrusters.”

A sudden beeping sound alerted Cassie. “We’ve got incoming! Seven, no, eight quadra fighters are in pursuit!"

“We’re on it.” Said TJ, nodding to Carlos as they both headed over to the weapons system.

The cruiser suddenly shook violently, rocked by the impact of several laser beams. TJ and Carlos attempted to fire back, one of their hits managing to target a quadra fighter’s engine, causing it to explode in spectacular fashion.

“Alright!” Carlos smiled, before another explosion hit the cruiser.

Cassie quickly relayed the new information. “Five more quadra fighters are heading this way.”

“Come on, Justin.” Andros whispered beneath his breath, as he tried to maneuver the cruiser out of harm’s way.

His thoughts were then answered as Justin’s voice came through from the intercom. “It took a little longer than expected, but with Zhane’s help I think I’ve managed to fix the problems of the prototype Hyper Drive...”

“You think?” Ashley stressed.

But before the words had even escaped her lips, Andros initiated the Hyper Drive, causing a sudden massive surge in the cruiser’s acceleration which hurled them away from Earth at an astonishing speed.

----------

Earth, Reefside…

A dark red stream of pure energy cut through the air like a jolt of lightning, exploding violently into a shower of sparks as it hit the sandy ground. In the split second that they needed to act, Tommy, Jason and Hunter quickly dived to their right while Conner, Kira, Ethan and Shane escaped to their left, avoiding the full force of the blast.

As the rangers rolled back up onto their feet, Zeltrax took a step forward, tightening his grip on his sword. “So, Dr Tommy Oliver … you’re back.”

“What’s the matter Zeltrax? You almost sound like you missed me.”

“Hmph.” Elsa smirked. “Allow us to show you by just how much. Tyrannodrones!”

Tommy shook his head. “We don’t have time for this." He turned back to the others. "We’re gonna have to make this quick!”

As a dozen eager Tyrannodrones suddenly raced into action, the rangers simultaneously reached for their morphers. Jason drew his hand across his back to grab hold onto his power morpher, Shane and Hunter got into their individual stances as they produced their wind and thunder morphers, and Conner, Ethan, Kira and Tommy activated their bracelets to reveal their dino morphers.

"Let's do it guys!"

“... It’s Morphin’ Time!” Jason yelled out, as he thrust his morpher forward, feeling the instant surge of familiar energy which quickly ran through his entire body. “Tyrannosaurus!” The flash of bright light faded, revealing the red Mighty Morphin’ ranger.

Shane nodded to Hunter. “Ready? Ninja Storm…”

“Thunder Storm…”

“… Ranger Form! Ha!” They both shouted the last part of their call in unison. Shane’s clothes were quickly replaced with those of the red Wind ranger, whilst Hunter morphed into those of the crimson Thunder ranger. “Power of Air!” Cried Shane. “Power of Thunder!” Hunter followed.

Conner, Ethan, Kira and Tommy activated their morphers last: “Dino Thunder, Power up! Ha!” Morphing in unison, their bodies becoming pure white as they then transformed into the red, blue, yellow and black Dino Thunder rangers.

As soon as the transformation light faded, the Tyrannodrones attacked. Jason quickly ran forward, finding Hunter and Shane right there by his side. Raising his left arm to block the swing of a curved spike, he countered with a sharp punch to its stomach before turning to execute a perfect roundhouse to another. Hunter withdrew his thunder staff, slicing its edges across the oncoming Tyrannodrones before holding it up high to block an attack.

“Ninja Air Assault!” Shane took his attack to the air, reaching for his sword as he began cutting through all those in his path, finishing the spectacular move with a forward roll as he landed firmly onto his feet.

With most of the Tyrannodrones engaged by Jason, Hunter and Shane, the others pressed forward on their assault. Conner and Kira kept their sights on Elsa, while Tommy and Ethan headed over to the nearby Zeltrax.

“Bring it on!” Elsa provoked them, her blood red sword held high in her hands.

Conner lunged forward with his Tyranno Staff, watching as Elsa expertly span out of the way and countered with a slash of her own. The hit barely caught him on his arm, softened by the interjection of Kira’s Ptera Grips. Elsa backed off, blocking and deflecting the combined attacks that Conner and Kira sent towards her, until she was finally forced into a corner where the hits began connecting.

“Augh…” She desperately launched a sudden kick which knocked Kira back.

“Kira!” Conner called out, instantly turning to block Elsa’s next hit.

Close by, Ethan swung his Tricera Shield in a wide arc, its tip grazing Zeltrax who tried to block the attack with his own. Before he could fully recover, Tommy ran forward, executing a running jump kick that sent Zeltrax to the ground. He was back up onto his feet in no time, the swing of his sword deflected by Tommy’s Brachio Staff, but by leaving his blind side open, he gave Ethan the chance for another strike of his own.

Sparks bursting from his side, Zeltrax fell once more to the ground. Before his mind could comprehend what was going on, he suddenly found himself being attacked by Jason, while Elsa’s attackers had changed to both Shane and Hunter.

“Tommy…” Jason called after him. “Be careful.”

“We will.” Came the reply, as Tommy and the Dino Thunder rangers headed for the nearby invisi-portal which would lead them into Mesogog’s fortress.

----------

Silver Hills…

Wes sat alone, lost in a sea of deep thought. He silently stared at the futuristic device which would allow him to establish contact with the future. His heart skipped several beats, realising that he was finally going to see her again, even if it was only her image. Gaining all his courage, he powered up the device’s core, causing a flat holographic image to appear between the two thin projectors.

“J-Jen?” He whispered, his words transcending time.

It was several minutes before a face appeared within the image, the image itself becoming more stabilised as it ceased its constant flickering. He did not know whether he was sad or relieved when it was Trip who answered: “… Wes!” The young man grinned, surprised to see his old friend. “It’s great to see you! Oh, hold on I’ll…”

“Trip, wait! I haven’t got much time to talk.” He watched as Trip’s features reappeared in the image. “Listen, we’ve got big problems here. The Machine Empire has gathered a large force and is preparing itself for war. I know it’s going to be difficult, but we could really use your help.”

Trip silently nodded, absoring the information “Wes, I-I’ll see what we can do."

The image then disconnected.

----------

Elsewhere, Angel Grove…

Prince Gasket let slip a small smile, witnessing a great new chapter in the Machine Empire's history unfold as reports began to come in from Cog units confirming the surrender of the rangers in all targeted cities. His anticipation rose with every step of the three figures whom headed towards him. However, his smile quickly faded as he realised that there should be four of them.

“Where is he?!” Prince Gasket demanded, his sword cutting through the air to punctuate his point.

Adam took a bold step forward. “Sorry, but Tommy couldn’t make it.”

The expression that came over Gasket was one of pure livid rage. “You will pay for your insolence, green ranger! Cogs, attack!”

Adam, Rocky and Tanya quickly got into their fighting stance, knowing that they had to keep him busy for as long as possible.

----------

Space, the Machine Fortress...

The sound of movement caused Kat to silently wake from her restless slumber, her vision slowly adjusting to the darkness all around her, as she turned her gaze to the outside of the prison cell. She watched as a legion of Cogs began to march by. Time was running out. It would not be long before the Machine Empire would begin their full scale invasion.

She slowly licked her parched lips, not knowing what was worse, being locked up here while Earth was taken over, or actually watching it happen and being powerless to stop it.

Kat’s ear suddenly twitched, picking up a strange sound that came from somewhere up ahead. As she turned back to the cell door she glimpsed a shimmering dark green light which reflected off of the shiny bodies of the guards. The Cogs quickly left their position to investigate, the sudden sound of a powered kick filling the air as it sent the two Cogs flying backwards in the direction that they came from.

Kat quickly stepped away, sparks flying in all directions from the blaster that shot the cell door. The door protested for a moment more before finally giving way. Her eyes were then confronted with the sight of a black ranger, his outfit highlighted by gold trimmings.

“… Tommy!”

Tommy took a single step back, pushed from the force of which Kat had thrown herself into his arms. He held her close in his arms as she cried into his chest.


End of Part V

[y3k]

Dude.....you are my favorite writer now (no offence UH)

[demonranger]

god this keeps getting better and better. this is definetly the best fan fic i've ever read. keep it coming and keep them well writen.

[comicstar100]

This is a great story knuckles Your great at giving equal spotlight to each chatacter.:cool:

[Ultimate Hero]

No offense tooken Y2ktm2, he deserves it.

Awsome chapter Knuckles Im realy loving this fic, it is definetly one or the best out their. Like I said you are an inspiration to me.

[Joravenel]

Unbeleviable story. Keep it coming thats all for now.

[Knuckles]

Thanks for the great compliments guys. Ugh, I noticed one or two really horrible spelling mistakes which I just corrected. They usually don't get past me but I always edit things in when posting a new part into a post.

[bjlovel]

Awesome. Just awesome. Can't wait for the next one.

[Knuckles]

Part VI: Tactics of War

That one moment in time seemed to last for an eternity, the two remaining in each other’s arms, neither one wanting to let go. However, the reality of their situation soon resurfaced, forcing Tommy to slowly pull himself away. Remaining in his morphed form, he glanced towards the hallway, knowing that it would not be long before the alarm was finally raised. Holding onto her hand, he quickly led her towards the portal of shimmering green light.

“Go straight through and the others will be waiting for you on the other side...”

Kat suddenly looked up at him, reluctance in his gaze. “But…”

“It’s ok.” Mechanical footsteps soon filtered through from a corridor in the distance. “I’ll be right behind you. Just as soon as I’ve found the President and your zeonizer.”

She silently nodded her head, turning to face the strange swirling green portal that glowed with fierce intensity. As she took a single step towards it, she chanced a last glance back before being transported in an instant flash of light. With Kat now safe, Tommy turned and continued on, cautiously peering through the next corridor as a patrol of Cogs passed by.

As he entered the next row of cells, he soon found the President, his cell guarded by two Cogs. Quickly running forward, he attacked the guards before they had a chance to shout ‘intruder.’ Executing a running jump kick, he caught the first in its stomach, before twisting half of his body to deliver a roundhouse to the other. The next kick he sent launched the Cog against the cell door, before his reflexes reacted, ducking a sudden blow from the Cog, and instantly countering with a fast leg sweep.

Tommy paused, watching as the shadow cowered in the corner. His physical condition seemed mostly untouched, but his mental condition was another story. In his entire life the President had never before been so vulnerable, never before felt his life hang in the balance. As he finally looked up, he gasped in absolute joy.

“P-Power rangers?!” He rushed forward towards the door, his eyes bloodshot.

“Hold on, Mr President. I’ll get you out in a sec….” Motioning for him to step back, Tommy withdrew his Brachio Staff and slashed it across the cell lock, causing it to burst open. “Come on, we don’t have much time…”

----------

Earth, Blue Bay Harbor…

The surrounding forest seemed eerily silent, hardly a sound rising above the drone of Cogs as they marched into the courtyard of the Wind Ninja Academy. They were led by a Cog General, a marking on his mechanical chest designating him as such. Waiting beside the entrance stood every current ninja student, but all sight was on the four who took a single step forward. Tori, Dustin, Cam and Blake sighed deeply, growing more anxious.

“This isn’t right, they shouldn’t even be here.” Whispered Blake, nervously.

Tori turned to him. “Blake, we’ve got no choice. We’ve got to keep this up until we hear back from the others.”

“Man, they’re taking their sweet time.” Stated Dustin, glancing at the rows of Cogs. “What if they want to chain our hands, what do we do then?”

“We’ve just gotta have faith.” Replied Cam. “And draw this out for as long as we can.”

All four slowly fell silent. Standing to one side, Sensei watched the proceedings, hoping that the plan would succeed before it was too late.

----------

Elsewhere, Angel Grove…

For an entire second his vision turned a sudden red, his head forcefully jerked to one side as the unseen hit connected hard against his face. Adam fell onto his side, turning to form his wrists into an ‘x’ formation and block the following downward strike. Pushing upwards, he gave himself an opening to flip back up onto his feet before spinning to deliver a quick mid-section kick to the unsuspecting Cog.

Close by he faintly glimpsed the sight of Tanya struggling to repel the oncoming Cogs, her zeonizer around her wrists, but needing a chance to initiate the morph. As his name was suddenly called out, he turned to see Rocky take out a Cog who came from his blind side, his hands beginning to ache from the hits against their bodies. If they didn’t morph soon, they would be too overwhelmed.

Prince Gasket silently watched from the sidelines, a deep satisfaction gained from watching the Zeo rangers struggle. He soon ordered the Cogs around him to join the fray, wanting to make this as painful for them as possible. The smile however was suddenly wiped from his face, his body launched to the ground as a flash of black, pink and yellow crossed his vision.

“Ugh…” As he turned with his sword drawn, he witnessed the three veteran rangers rushing over to aid their friends.

Rocky kicked a Cog backwards, a wave of relief washing over him. “Guys!”

“… We got here as soon as we could.” Came Kimberly’s voice, as she used her quick agility to move out of the way of an attack, whilst using the Cogs own momentum against it, sending it stumbling towards the others with a kick to its spine. “Is everyone ok?”

“We are now.” Stated Adam, countering an attack. “But we would be even better if you could get them off us for a sec.”

Zack nodded as he slashed his power axe across a Cog. “No problem.”

Tanya dived to one side, rolling out of the way of several attacks as Trini covered her, her lightning fast kicks forcing the Cogs back. With the opening created by the others, Adam, Rocky and Tanya finally had their chance to morph.

“It’s Morphin’ Time!” Quickly bringing their zeonizers together, they were surrounded by a bright aura of light. “Zeo ranger II: Yellow! … Zeo ranger III: Blue! … Zeo ranger IV: Green!”

Prince Gasket clenched his fists, completely enraged by this development. Raising his hand into the air, he called forth an entire new wave of Cogs who had been waiting onboard the Machine Fortress, the odds now heavily staked against the rangers. Adam, Zack, Kimberly, Rocky, Tanya and Trini rushed forward as one, once more heading into battle.

----------

Meanwhile, Turtle Cove…

“This doesn’t look good.”

Alyssa’s voice reflected the thoughts of the others, as they silently watched the legion of Cogs which headed towards them, their number vast. Cole stood with his fists clenched, while Danny and Max glanced at one another, and Taylor folded her arms. They all felt so helpless. This entire plan rested in the hands of only a few rangers.

“Rangers…” A Cog suddenly stepped forward, his appearance that of a general.

Cole took a deep breath. “We … we surrender.”

The Cog General nodded his head, indicating to the others to start rounding them up. “Remember to take their morphers.”

The words took the Wild Force rangers by surprise. They knew that they were going to be chained, but it didn’t cross their minds that their morphers would be taken from them. Everyone turned to Cole as if to ask what they should do, but he wordlessly looked forward as the Cogs approached.

----------

Over in Reefside…

“Come on, come on … what’s taking him so long?”

Conner slowly shook his head, his agitation growing. Turning to face the others he suddenly caught Ethan and Kira’s look which took him to be quiet, his words causing Kat to worry even further. It had been some time since she had appeared through the invisi-portal, her gaze not moving from its sight as she awaited Tommy’s return.

Kira sighed. “You sure you don’t want to take you to…”

“No, it’s fine.” Kat answered. “I want to wait here.”

Conner however wasn’t the only one growing more nervous. With more time that passed, not only did it mean that something could have happened to Tommy, but it also meant that Mesogog could return at any moment. Then there was the others who were still keeping both Elsa and Zeltrax at bay, and the other ranger teams who were feigning a surrender. Things were not looking good.

Ethan suddenly looked up. “Wait, something’s coming through!”

A flash of bright green light instantly appeared as Tommy and the President emerged from the invisi-portal. Landing onto their feet, Tommy quickly turned to Ethan. “… Now!”

Typing fast, Ethan initiated the sequence that would shut down the portal, breaking the link between the Machine Fortress and Earth. Tommy breathed deeply, an indication of the Cogs which must have been right behind them.

“Mr President.” Conner began, stepping towards him. “Come on, we’ll get you to safety.”

Kat rushed over to Tommy, hugging him tightly. As he broke the embrace he held up his free hand to show her the retrieved zeonizer. Strapping it across her wrists, he then glanced over at Ethan, seeing that he was already way ahead of him.

“I know, I’m on it.” He said quickly. “I’m contacting Hayley now and will tell her to get the word out to the others...”

----------

Mariner Bay…

Carter froze, the call coming unexpectedly out of nowhere, casting sudden doubt onto Joel, Chad, Kelsey, Dana and Ryan as they were in the act of surrendering themselves and their morphers. As Carter suddenly lifted up his gaze, the group quickly reacted, launching an attack on the confused Cogs before stepping back into formation.

“It’s about time..” Smiled Joel.

“Time to turn the tables. Ready guys?” As one they activated their morphers. “Lightspeed - Rescue!”

“Titanium Power!” Shouted Ryan, stepping forward.

With the morphing sequence complete, the Lightspeed rangers rushed forward into battle, filled with the knowledge that both the President and Kat were safe.


End of Part VI

[it's time for a gold rush]

this is an awesome story keep it up.

[y3k]

*bows*

I like the part with the Zeo rangers and Morphin rangers teaming up.

MUST READ MORE!

[Ultimate Hero]

Interesting chapter, I am anxous to see how this story develops.

[bjlovel]

This is great. Keep it up.

[ZyuGreen]

kickass keep it up

[Knuckles]

Thanks everyone. :)

[Joravenel]

Great chapter. The president and Kat where resuced by Tommy. Cool. Keep it coming. Can not wait for more. Thats all for now.

[Lord ZEDD]

Great chapter I'm really happy you went with a Tommy Kat relationship. I'm sick of those damned Tommy/Kim fics that make him look like a crybaby pussy who couldn't get over a girl in highschool. Ooops sorry I didn't mean to go on a rant keep up the great work.

[Knuckles]

Lol. Thanks. The next part should be up by the weekend.

[DekaBlackSG-1]

Cant wait (falls over and dies)

[DekaBlackSG-1]

Hey knuckels whens the next part

[Knuckles]

Sorry about the little wait guys, been busy with quite a few things...


Part VII: The Battle For Mironoi

Tired, worn and extremely fatigued, the five Lost Galaxy rangers forced themselves forward, avoiding the occasional blasts of arrow-fire which were sent into the fray as they engaged once more with the oncoming Cogs. It seemed like a never-ending cycle. They fought on and on, the two sides only breaking apart once enough damage had been inflicted on the other.

The rangers knew that Archerina only had a finite number of Cogs at her disposal, but on the other hand, she knew that the five could not keep this up forever. It was a battle to see which side would falter first…

Kai stood his ground, unleashing a quick kick forward before twisting to execute one backwards, sensing the Cog behind him. The Cog staggered backwards from the hit, giving him the time and space he needed to perform a running jump kick which took the android out. Not far from where he fought, Maya and Kendrix alternated attacks: switching for upper to lower section kicks, their muscles bruised and aching from the strain.

Damon quickly righted himself, having been knocked down by several Cogs. Turning sharply, his roundhouse connected against those directly in front of him, causing them to collide against those waiting to attack. He pressed the sudden advantage, taking out those who still in the process of recovering, not holding anything back as his lungs struggled to circulate oxygen. He took the brief respite to glance over at Leo, watching him give his all against the fight with Archerina.

“… Give it up!”

Leo’s voice rose above the dim of battle, filled with fierce conviction and determination. He shifted his stance, raising his Quaser Saber to block the sudden side hit from Archerina before she quickly took several steps backwards, using the distance to fire an arrow from her bow. The arrow grazed his shoulder, exploding on impact.

“Aha ha ha. Never!” She almost screeched. The sound of the bow’s string could be heard being pulled back as she attached another deadly arrow.

With a short burst of adrenaline, Leo dodged out of the way of the next hit, regaining his footing in order to deflect another arrow with his saber, each time trying to close the distance. He knew that in close quarters the advantage was his. Archerina however continued to take her own steps backwards, firing off volley after volley of arrows.

“… Kendrix!”

Maya’s shout alerted Kendrix to the two Cogs positioned directly behind her, their visors rising as they launched an explosive firing blast. Kendrix quickly backflipped out of the way, avoiding its full force.

“I - I don’t know how much more of this I can take!” She cried out.

“We’ve got to hold on!” Came Kai’s voice, his own breathing erratic. But even as he said this, his own powers began to flicker, wavering from his physical exhaustion.

A sudden sharp sound caused everyone, both man and machine, to look towards the heavens; a stream of supersonic light quickly making its way directly towards them…

----------

Earth, Reefside…

Jason ducked down low, avoiding the sudden wide sweep of Zeltrax’s sword, his own Power Sword having been knocked from his hands a few moments before. Diving to one side, he avoided a downwards slash, countering with a sharp kick to Zeltrax’s side which caused his sword to slip from his grasp. The playing field suddenly evened out, with both combatants now disarmed.

In an angered rage, Zeltrax attempted to rush Jason, but the original red ranger saw the oncoming attack. Lashing out with a sharp standing kick, he pushed Zeltrax off-balance, purposely mistiming his second kick just enough so that Zeltrax could catch it. Big mistake. With his right foot firmly in Zeltrax’s grasp, Jason launched himself into the air, twisting his body in order to execute a sweeping kick to his head with his free leg.

Zeltrax was forced to the ground, instantly dazed whilst Jason quickly recovered, getting back onto his feet.

“… Ugh!”

Elsa lashed out angrily after the hit against her, her sword causing massive sparks to burst from Shane’s chest. As he fell back, Hunter quickly took his place, blocking her hits with the flat of his thunder staff. Chancing a quick look back, Hunter noticed Shane readying his Hawk Blaster, moving out of the way at the very last second so that he was sure the blast would connect.

Her cry of pain was dwarfed by the sudden sound of an invisi-portal, all eyes turning to the sight as Tommy, Kat, Conner, Ethan, Kira and the President emerged. With the odds now heavily staked against them, Elsa and Zeltrax quickly forced a path away from the rangers.

“T-This isn’t over!” They both cried, as they teleported away in a stream of dark green light.

“You did it!” Panted Jason, trying to regain his breath as he smiled towards Kat.

“Now we can take the fight to Gasket!” Smiled Shane.

Tommy slowly shook his head, demorphing in a flash of black light. “If the force I saw readying on the Machine Fortress is anything to go by … we’ve got big problems…”

----------

Elsewhere, Turtle Cove…

A dark feeling grew in the pit of his stomach as Cole reluctantly handed over his morpher to the Cog General, feeling as if a huge part of himself was being taken away. The smile on the surrounding Cog faces did nothing to ease the pain. He slowly turned, indicating for the others to step forward and follow suit. Danny, Max and Alyssa hesitated, turning to one another whilst Taylor simply looked on in anger.

Beep!

Cole turned, the sudden sound of his growl phone driving his attention from the others. He instantly reacted, knowing what it meant. Taking two steps forward, he lashed out with a standing kick to the Cog General’s hands, forcing his morpher up into the air. As gravity quickly took hold, he caught it in-between his hands, unflipping the cover as he initiated the morph.

“Wild Access!”

An intense aura of bright light surrounded him as he morphed into the red Wild Force ranger, the power flowing through his body. At the same time that his transformation ended, the others had begun their own: “… Wild Access!” As the light faded once more, all five Wild Force rangers appeared, ready for battle.

“S-Stop them!” Shouted the Cog General.

“Now this is more like it!” Stated Taylor as she rushed to meet the Cogs head on.

----------

Back on Mirinoi…

Kai, Maya, Kendrix, Damon and Leo looked upwards as the cruiser came in at full speed, firing at the Quadra Fighters which followed behind whilst simultaneously opening its outer bay doors. The wind rushing at their faces with full force, Andros, TJ, Carlos, Cassie and Ashley appeared, bracing themselves as the cruiser hit the ground. They quickly jumped down onto the ground below.

“Let’s Rocket!” Came the sudden unison cry. Entering the 3-5-5 code, they each morphed into the red, blue, black, pink and yellow Space rangers.

Damon turned to the others in open shock. “The Space rangers?!”

“We’re here to help!” Shouted TJ, immediately rushing over to the nearest group of Cogs.

As the Space and Lost Galaxy rangers joined forces, Archerina soon found the Cogs heavily engaged. As if this wasn’t enough, Andros ran forward to aid Leo while two more figures appeared in the cruiser’s doorway: Zhane and Justin.

Zhane reached for his Astro morpher whilst Justin withdrew his Turbo key. “Let’s Rocket! … Shift Into Turbo!” One after the other, Zhane morphed into the silver Space ranger whilst Justin morphed into the blue Turbo ranger.

Justin paused, taking a moment. It had been so long since he had last morphed, but the familiar ranger energy flowed through his now mature frame. Rushing forward, he fought alongside Zhane as they aided the others in their battle against the Cogs.

“… It’s over, Archerina!” Grunted Leo as he blocked a swing of the edge of her bow.

She soon cried out as a blast from Andro’s blaster caught her in the chest. Rolling on the ground, she looked up in anger, forced to rethink her strategy. Trying to keep the two red rangers at bay with her arrows, she watched as more and more of the Cogs were being defeated by the joint groups of rangers.

She then knew that it would be pointless to summon the last of the Cogs who waited on her ship - the battle had already been lost.

“You may have won this round…” Archerina suddenly fired two twin-arrows, the explosion hitting the ground by Andros and Leo’s feet, creating a veil of dust for her escape. “… But Earth will still belong to the Machine Empire!” In a sudden flash of light, she disappeared, teleporting back onto her ship.

Leo slowly fell onto his knees, relishing the victory as his lungs gasped for air and his body demorphed. They had done it. The colony had been saved. But even as he said this, he knew that it was far from over. Earth was still under threat, and they had to do whatever they could to stop the Machine Empire…


End of Part VII

[y3k]

W00T! You defenetly know how to pull off a massive cross-over like this!

[comicstar100]

This just gets better as it goes on.I hope we see the next ch soon.:cool:

[it's time for a gold rush]

that was awesome I can't wait for the next chapter.

[Gold Ranger]

Wow. Just took a chance to read it - brilliant. Easily the best Power Rangers story I've ever read.

[Joravenel]

great last part. can not wait for more. Want more soon. Thats all for now.

[Knuckles]

Thanks everyone. :)

[bjlovel]

I want more, I want more

[Knuckles]

They'll be more soon...

[Knuckles]

Eh, not entirely happy with this part. But it's something to tide you over until the next one...


Part VIII: Prince Gasket’s Assault

The machine prince suddenly ran forward, the air seeming to be filled with the howls of his frustration. His eyes flared a deep red, anger rising not only at the news of Archerina’s defeat on Mirinoi, but also at the second transmission, the reports of a black ranger having infiltrated the Machine Fortress. He knew that it had to have been him, the ranger who had been a thorn in his side for far too long - Tommy.

As the months of careful preparation and planning was beginning to crumble all around him, all Prince Gasket sought now was revenge. Still in the midst of fighting the enhanced Cogs, the others did not know what hit them. Gasket appeared like a demon possessed, his sword even slicing through any Cogs who were in his direct path, before his gaze finally landed on the sight of Kimberly and Zack.

He slashed downwards, catching the unaware pink ranger in the side of her unprotected back, her screams of pain giving him morbid pleasure as intense sparks reflected off of the surface of his blade. His sword cut deep, literally tearing apart her morphed form, reverting her back into a civilian. He watched her writhe on the ground in pain, the cry from Zack’s lips then causing him to turn. Gasket quickly crossed the remaining distance between them.

Zack quickly lifted up his power axe, narrowly blocking the downward swing of Prince Gasket’s blade. At such close quarters, the black ranger could see the pure hatred in his eyes – he was determined not to suffer another defeat at the hands of any rangers. Lashing out with a kick to Gasket’s stomach, Zack attempted to counter with a wide swing, but soon found that it sliced through nothing but air as Gasket easily side-stepped. Thrusting forward, Gasket then made his next move.

“Aagugh!”

Zack cried out in pain, his vision blinded by the shower of sparks which burst across his form, his powers flickering in and out of phase. The combined strength of the fight with the Cogs and Prince Gasket’s attack was finally too much for his old powers, and he demorphed in a sudden flash of black light. Zack’s head hit the ground hard, causing blood to flow from a newly opened wound; his body both weak and bruised.

“Zack! Kimberly!” Adam’s cry sounded above the noise of battle as he struggled to break free of the Cogs which continued to block his path.

Prince Gasket averted his gaze, turning back to the sight of the pink ranger still moving in agony on the ground, her hand clutching the joint between her shoulder blade and her arm. A deep red bruise could be seen underneath the T-shirt that she wore, indicating that the force of the attack had dislocated her arm.

A sudden blast of lazer-fire caught Prince Gasket off guard, and turning towards its source, he witnessed the two yellow rangers rushing forward towards them. Trini quickly withdrew her power daggers, whilst Tanya took out her Zeo double-clubs. Channeling the jolts of electricity which ran throughout his body, Prince Gasket forced it into his sword before blasting the two head on, creating an explosion which forced them back.

“T-Trini…” Tanya called out.

“… I’m ok.” She answered, trying to regain her footing.

By the time the two had got back up onto their feet, Prince Gasket was before them. Slashing outwards in a wide swing, he caught the two across their chest, relishing the sparks which burst forth from their forms. He pressed on with the attack, watching as they managed to block a few of his hits, but they were already too drained from the previous fights. Trini soon demorphed.

A terrifying scream came from Trini’s lips as Prince Gasket looked set to finish her off, his sword cutting through the air like lightning. But a sudden kick sent him staggering backwards as Tanya protected her with the last of her strength. However, she did not see the three Cogs which came up from behind her, their energy blasts ripping through her form as she demorphed, hitting the ground awkwardly as she fell unconscious.

“Tanya!” Trini cried out, clutching her own body.

Adam finally let his own anger get the better of him, watching the scene as if in slow motion. Summoning the deep reserves within his own body, he took out the surrounding Cogs in a burst of full-on adrenaline. Explosions erupting all around him, he kept running forward, the slash of his hatchet meeting Prince Gasket’s sword.

“It’s over, green ranger!” Prince Gasket taunted, his anger still present but now mixed with the thought of imminent victory.

“It’s not over yet!” Adam shouted back, spinning on his feet to unleash a quick roundhouse kick which caught Gasket on his chin, before following up with a running jump kick which sent him to the ground.

As Rocky fought off the last of the Cogs around him, he quickly ran over to the others. Trini was the least hurt out of them all, but the others - Tanya was unconscious, Zack was on the verge of blacking out, and Kimberly was in agony with her dislocated arm. Knowing the risks, Rocky demorphed.

“Kimberly … I – I need to…”

“I know…” She said slowly, her bottom lip bleeding as she bit it hard. “Do it!”

Nodding his head, Rocky lodged her arm back into place, her scream causing everyone to turn. With her arm back into place, Rocky tore off a piece of his shirt to help bandage the wound. His last words to her was to keep pressure on it, before a Cog came up from the side, the hit slamming into his face. The whole world span as he fell, the hit feeling three times as worse without his powers to shield him. He spat blood.

Prince Gasket glared at Adam. With five rangers down, only one now remained.

----------

In the future, Time Force Headquarters…

The young woman strode confidently down the long brightly lit corridor, three figures just one step behind as the sound of their combined footsteps echoed loudly along the cold smooth flooring. They soon reached their destination, the deserted corridor leading on to the restricted area which housed the newly developed projects. Jen walked forward to the unmanned door, entering a security code before speaking an oral identification:

“Authorization Jen, security clearance: one-alpha-two-omega-four…”

A loud click sounded as the door released its lock, sliding open to allow them access. Jen, Lucas, Trip and Katie entered the large room, scanning the objects inside as they then made their way over towards the time portal. The group waited apprehensively, growing more nervous as Trip located the object that he was searching for. It was a small hand-held device, used to operate the portal.

“Let’s do it.” Said Katie, more than ready.

Inputting the space time co-ordinates, Trip activated the device causing the two pylons which generated power to the time portal, to start up. Within minutes, a swirling vortex of blue energy appeared before them, a direct route to the past.

“We’re gonna be in so much trouble once they find out that we’ve used this.” Whispered Trip.

“We’ll deal with the consequences later.” Stated Jen. “Right now, Wes needs us.”

Nodding as one, the four Time Force rangers stepped through the time portal.

----------

Back in the past, Blue Bay Harbor…

Two streaks of light flashed through the air, one red and one crimson, heading through the forest as they bounced off of one tree to the next, finally arriving at the Wind Ninja Academy. Shane and Hunter landed to one side of the courtyard, a smile immediately appearing on their faces as they surveyed the scene before them. They quickly realised that their hastened journey back to Blue Bay Harbor was unnecessary – the others had handled everything just fine.

Tori, Cam, Dustin and Blake walked forward as they spotted the two, behind them the ground was littered with the bodies of defeated Cogs. With every single ninja student aiding in the battle, it had not taken them long to defeat the enhanced androids.

“I see you didn’t need our help after all.” Smiled Shane.

“Nope.” Dustin grinned as he answered. “Everything’s pretty much under control.”

“So what’s our next move?” Asked Cam, speaking up.

It was Hunter who answered. “Well, if Tommy is right, then we haven’t seen a fraction of the number of Cogs that Gasket has waiting back aboard his ship. With the plans of our surrender in ruins, and both Kat and the President safe, he’s got nothing left to lose. He’s gonna launch his full force.”

Blake shook his head. “But he can’t have enough Cogs for a full scale assault on all the cities … could he?”

“It looks like he has.” Nodded Shane. He then turned to Tori. “Are preparations in the city underway?”

“Yeah. We’ve sounded the alarm and begun evacuations out of the city center. It should be completed in a few hours.”

Cam sighed deeply. “Let’s just hope that we can finish all the evacuations before Gasket starts the attack…”

----------

Elsewhere, Angel Grove…

Both Prince Gasket and Adam suddenly fell backwards, pushed apart by the force of both their individual hits connecting. Adam staggered back, trying to catch his breath, whilst Gasket tightened his grip around the hilt of his sword. They were about to go at it again when several teleportation streams appeared from out of nowhere. Tommy, Jason and Kat soon appeared, their faces immediately registering shock as they saw the state of the others.

“Tommy…” Prince Gasket almost spat with rage. As he saw that the three were about to morph, he only smiled, shaking his head with laughter as he placed a hand to his air to activate the communications link. "General ... launch the full assault!"


End of Part VIII

[Lord ZEDD]

Great chapter loved Gaskets blind rage when attacking the rangers I wonder how the fight with him and Tommy will go and whats going to happen with the full invasion.

[it's time for a gold rush]

another awesome chapter

[bjlovel]

This part if gret. It will definitly tie me down till the next.

[zeoranger0black]

I...... want....... more......... just........great...........

[y3k]

nice. very nice.

[Joravenel]

Very good. can not wait for more. Keep it coming. Thats all for now.

[ZyuGreen]

kickass... keep it up

[DekaBlackSG-1]

Must.............Have.......More *drops dead* *Girlfriend walks up* "god damnit no gettin fucked tonight"

[DekaBlackSG-1]

Knuckles please write more

[bjlovel]

Knuckles. It has been over a month since you last posted an eps. Are you still continuing with this or not?

[DekaBlackSG-1]

Yeah what he said

[Lord ZEDD]

I really hope you didn't abondon this fic it was great and the fanfic board was finally getting some good fics again since Forever Red and C2D The Novels. Please dont stop I just hope this is just a break and not abonding it I hate when that happens to good fics.

[ranger fan 9000]

please knuckles start writing on this fanfic again. please i beg of you

[Knuckles]

Sorry guys, I haven't totally abandoned this fic, it's just that the Uni course that I am on is nearing it's end so I've been quite busy lately with stuff. I'll try to get a part writing for the weekend.

[DekaBlackSG-1]

yay your not dead! looking forward to the next chapter keep it up knuckles :D

[bjlovel]

I'll be waiting for the next chapter.

[Knuckles]

Part IX: “The Invasion.”

The heavens rumbled, dark clouds no longer able to withhold their threat of rain, casting a heavy unrelenting downpour onto the scene far below. Intersecting jolts of lightning flashed through the darkening sky, illuminating the moving shadows which quickly pierced through the veil of clouds – a vast fleet of quadra fighters hurtling towards the near defenseless Angel Grove. The sound which filled the air was almost deafening, fusing with the overwhelming echoing beat of a thunderclap.

The rain began to dance onto the concrete pavements of the street, clattering off of the red surface of the Zeo suit, as Tommy Oliver could only watch in helpless anger. The fighters quickly cut through the air, rings of energy charging until they could finally fire, unleashing terrifying explosions which tore through targeted buildings in their line of sight. Debris was thrown clear, masquerading as raindrops as it fell from the sky.

Sudden flashes of light caused Tommy to turn his gaze, soon witnessing the teleportation streams which began to emit every few seconds, bringing with them the next wave of enhanced Cogs. Years of fighting, years of the continuous struggle to stop evil from conquering Earth, it meant very little. All that mattered now was this fight. If they lost now, then it was all over.

The sound of Prince Gasket’s cold laughter rose above the erupting explosions, tearing Tommy away from all other immediate thoughts. All caution, all rational thoughts and experience were thrown completely aside, his fists clenched tight, as Tommy ran towards him. He didn’t hear Kat’s voice calling out to him, all he could hear was the laughter, that cold emotionless laughter which sent a shiver through his soul.

“Tommy!”

Kat instantly ran after him, Jason only a few steps behind, however Adam held his ground, knowing that he had to protect the others. Kat ran blindly, the dark feeling in the pit of her stomach rising. The explosion which hit the building to her side shattered all outward glass, drawing her attention as a further blast sent a large piece of debris headed her way. Tommy was too far ahead to have heard or noticed, but Jason’s cry from behind rang true.

Selflessly willing his body onwards, Jason dived towards her, shoving Kat roughly out of the way just as the debris hit him dead on, violently sending his body into unconsciousness. As the smoke slowly dispersed, Kat turned franticly to discover that Jason was no where in sight, his form completely buried under the rubble.

“J-Jason …” The shock took a moment to register, her hands beginning to shake, before she suddenly scrambled to push each piece of rubble aside. “Jason!”

----------

The machine ship raced past the void of space, hurtling towards the enlarging orb of Earth, whilst a barrage of laser fire blasted its hull and engines from behind. Archerina shielded her eyes as explosions erupted all over the bridge, her hearing completely engulfed with the sound of Cogs hurrying to extinguish fires or to redirect power to the shields. She seethed with anger. Though the cruiser behind lacked strength in its weapon systems, its continuous hits to her ship were causing more than enough damage.

“Return fire!” She cried out, his voice carrying above all else.

The blast of energy shot from a rear cannon, scrapping the side of the cruiser as it attempted to maneuver out of the way. Andros remained at the controls, his reflexes tiring as his eyes blinked from the stress of keeping them focused for too long on what was ahead. Standing to one side were Leo, Maya, Kendrix and Kai.

“How long?” Came his voice, not moving his gaze an inch from the viewscreen.

“An hour, maybe less.” Cassie answered, the instruments indicating their time of arrival to Earth.

Ashley turned to TJ, the two exchanging glances as they both knew the look on Andros’ features and the tone which lingered in his voice. It was Ashley who finally spoke: “Andros?”

He seemed to ignore her for a second. “Justin, how much speed could you build up if you redirected everything we’ve got to the engines?”

The young man’s voice came from the engine room which he worked in with Damon and Zhane. “If we took everything that’s left from the shields, life support, environmental and weapons, we could probably double our current speed…”

“Are you crazy?” Stated TJ, realisation dawning on Andros’ plan. “You want to ram into the Machine Fortress?!”

“What?” Leo took a step forward.

“Everyone will bail before we reach the Fortress. The cruiser will ram into it at full speed, completely destroying it. With it gone, Gasket’s endless supply of Cogs and fighters will be wiped out…”

“A bold move.” Whispered Kai.

Carlos shook his head. “But it won’t work. The Fortress would fire before the cruiser could get near, and with all power from shields diverted to the engines…”

“I know. Auto-pilot can’t compensate for the attack, that’s why I have decided to stay behind.” The room fell deadly silent. “I’ll bail at the last possible moment.”

As he let his words sink in to the group, Ashley shook her head in disbelief, turning as she could not stand it any longer and ran out of the bridge.

----------

Back on Earth…

The cry of a dinosaur rang through the skies above Reefside, filled with pain and hurt as the Pterazord recovered from the direct blast of the chasing quadra fighters. Kira held tightly onto the zord’s control orb, almost knocked from her feet by the blast. The invasion force had seemed to come out of nowhere, targeting the city as they attempted to destroy everything in sight. Hayley’s panicked call quickly sent the rangers into action.

“Come on Pterazord, hold it together…” Another direct blast hit the right wing. “Ugh … Let’s show those bots what we can do!”

Spinning as if into a dive, the Pterazord sailed through the air, curving in a circular trajectory as it then flew up behind the approaching fighters. Unleashing a super sonic scream, one by one the quadra fighter burst into an explosion, scattering metallic debris across the horizon.

Kira soon caught sight of both the Tyrannozord and the Tricerazord on the ground, their feet stomping or charging on ground units whilst trying to contend with the attack from the air. The Tyrannozord suddenly fell back, blasted by several streams of energy fire which were directed towards its head. It crashed into the side of an evacuated bank, crushing both brick and glass.

“Aagh…” Conner fell sideways, slamming hard into the far left of the zord’s cockpit. “H-Hayley! We could do with a little help! We can’t keep this up!”

“The auxiliary zords are already on their way, but that’s about all that I can do…” Her calm voice sounded from the communicator. “The Machine Empire are strategically attacking all the major cities at once, so there’s no chance of help from the other rangers either…”

“I understand.” Conner slowly lifted up his gaze, opening a line to the others. “Guys, it looks like we’re on our own…”

The blast from several overhead quadra fighters enthasised his words.

----------

The whole world suddenly span, his vision blurring as the blow to his head sent him hurtling towards the ground. Tired arms attempted to push himself upright, his entire body aching, but the will and fire to fight would not die out. Wes rose his left arm to block the downward strike of the attacking Cog, causing sparks to burst from the contact. Lashing out with his left leg, he caught the Cog on it’s ankle, forcing it off balance.

Regaining his footing, Wes chanced a glance around, seeing nothing but waves upon waves of Cogs in all directions. What remained of the Silver Guardians were being quickly beaten back, and Eric was no where in sight. A sudden flash of dark red however caused Wes to turn to his side, witnessing the roundhouse kick of the Quantum Ranger as he propelled several Cogs out of his way.

“Eric!” His call to his comrade however fell silent, the sound of fighting and explosions too intense.

Wes knew his own physical limitations, knew that his powers could not take much more of this. Breathing heavily, he reached for his Chrono Saber, slashing the cold steel across the mechanical forms of the surrounding Cogs. Two however, stepped back, opening their visors to unleash a blast of energy which hit the ground by his feet, throwing him clear.

He didn’t know how awkwardly he landed, or feel any pain as consciousness was beginning to slip away. Suddenly, a blinding flash of light brought his senses round, as a shimmering portal appeared from out of nowhere. Four figures emerged from its core – but he only saw one.

“… Jen…”

The rangers from the future only had a brief second to take in their surroundings and the situation. Jen, Katie, Lucas and Trip simultaneously reached for their Chrono Morphers, getting into their stance as they activated the device.

“Time For – Time Force!” They all shouted in unison.

The morph was quick and fast, their forms instantly moving as they took on the Cogs in the immediate vicinity, giving Wes a chance to breathe. After taking out a Cog with two sharp kicks to its stomach, Jen ran over to Wes, helping him to his feet as she looked into his eyes. He slowly smiled, feeling suddenly safe and secure. He silently reached out his hand, placing it on the side of her helmet, as if to stroke her face.

“Jen … I knew you’d come…”

Wes finally passed out, demorphing out of his ranger form.


End of Part IX

[Apollo]

Nice episode, but how do you keep track of all the characters.

[Shinobi_Ranger_X]

Oh my dayum...this is my first time reading the story and I've just finished all 9 chapters..I must say, I am hooked! Well keep it going Knuckles! :cool:

[y3k]

w00t! another part of the story, finally! :p

[Joravenel]

I so agree. Can not wait for chapter 10. Thats all for now.

[bjlovel]

Awesome. Can't wait for more.

[DekaBlackSG-1]

Holy Fucking Shit I nominate this as FanFic of the century this is good cant wait for chapter 10

[Lord ZEDD]

Fucking awsome man for a second I though you were going to kill Kat. Great job it was worth the wait.

[Knuckles]

Thanks everyone.

Gold Zeo Ranger - I just have a small piece of paper with all the character's names and ranger groups written down, along with a note on what's currently happening to them. Obviously with a fic this size, some groups get more attention and focus than others, but I'll try to get more of Lightspeed and Wildforce into it.

[DekaBlackSG-1]

Next Chapter please

[DekaBlackSG-1]

knuckles whens the next chap gon be?

[DekaBlackSG-1]

come on knuckles you gave us a chapter then u droped off the face of the planet again WTF?

[Knuckles]

Woah, calm down. I've only been gone for a few days. :p The next part will be up either later today or tomorrow.

[DekaBlackSG-1]

Ok Great cant wait

[y3k]

Woah, calm down. I've only been gone for a few days. :p The next part will be up either later today or tomorrow.

NO, we want it NOW! :p

[Knuckles]

[A quick word of warning that I have not had the time to read this over - I forgot that I have some other stuff to do today, so there might be a few grammar errors and such...]


Legacy of Power: The Machine War
Part X: Zero Hour

His body was instantly forced towards the back of the chair, pressure rising from the sudden increase in the cruiser’s speed as all remaining power had been diverted to the engines. Small beads of sweat began to roll down the base of his forehead, his palms beginning to grow slippery, all attention focused on the avoidance of weapons fire from the immense Machine Fortress which loomed up ahead.

Andros slammed his hands against the controls, causing the cruiser to initiate a side maneuver. He could almost feel the hull shudder from the passing stream of energy. A light on his console indicated that the bay doors were opening, and he chanced a glance to one side to watch as several teleportation streams headed towards Earth. He suddenly felt alone, but knew the importance of what he had to do.

He slowly lifted up his gaze, at this distance, he could see the outline of Archerina’s ship which had docked with the fortress a few moments before. He could imagine her screams, her cries to blast the cruiser out of the sky, as it was all too clear that it was on a collision course. Sensors were at their maximum, quickly relating the distance and vector of incoming fire, forcing Andros to instantly react and compensate.

The sudden sound of the bridge door opening almost caused his death and the failure of the entire mission, his gaze turned for a brief moment to glance in confusion at who stood in the doorway. Andros quickly turned back, pushing the cruiser into a steep dive as another barrage of energy fire came his way.

“Ashley?!” He shouted, not chancing another look back.

He sensed her form rushing over to one of the nearby consoles, familiar beeping filling the room as she took control of the cruiser’s main sensors.

“I knew that you’d need my help. I-It’s not like you can do everything yourself.” Her voice slowly trailed off, betraying her true feelings and emotions.

Andros shook his head. “It’s too dangerous. You should have gone with the others!”

“But I wanted to be here, I wanted to be here with you. I thought that you would have understood that by now…” She turned her gaze from the back of his head, glancing instead at the symbols on the screen as the silence grew. “… Andros! Incoming weapons fire!”

----------

Pain shot up the left side of his body, immediately followed by another blow to the side of his head. Adam almost fell to his knees, feeling his own body draining as his vision blurred whilst he fought and countered, deflected and blocked – but it was becoming too much. He struggled in vain to protect Trini, Kimberly, Rocky, Tanya and Zack from the wave of enhanced Cogs who headed towards them. Not only was he worn out from his own battle with Gasket, but his thoughts were torn as he had witnessed the debris which had collapsed on top of Jason.

A sudden stream of light tore the attention of all those near, as TJ, Carlos, Cassie, Zhane and Justin appeared from the teleporation stream, instantly running forward to battle the Cogs. No words could express the relief which washed over Adam. He soon found himself backed up by TJ, Cassie and Zhane, while Justin and Carlos ran over as Kat cried out in vain.

“Please, someone! I need your help!” She did not turn her gaze once from the important task, her hands grabbing hold of another piece of rubble as her muscles strained to move it.

“… Zeo Flying Power Kick!”

A little further away from the others, Tommy perfectly executed his signature move, defying gravity as he leapt high into the air, fuelled by the anger which still coursed through his veins. The move hit true, causing a ripple of shimmering air as it connected against Prince Gasket’s chest, unleashing a shower of sparks from his form. In slow motion Prince Gasket was thrown backwards through the air, his sword falling from his grasp whilst Tommy regained his footing.

Gasket quickly tried to recover, rising back onto his feet in order to block the sudden strike of Tommy’s right punch. He then hit low, winding the ranger in the stomach before his backhand slammed against the side of Tommy’s head, forcing him back. The machine prince dived hastily into a forward roll, reaching for his fallen sword as he turned to face his nemesis.

“You will regret the day that you ever came across the Machine…” Prince Gasket suddenly froze, his words cut short as an intense explosion erupted in the heavens.

Tommy took several steps back, gazing upwards as a cloud of smoke and flame rose up from the side of the Machine Fortress. Within moments more explosions could be seen tearing apart Prince Gasket’s base, the cause as of yet unknown, as it destroyed all the Cogs and quadra fighters located towards the rear of the vast structure. As confusion came over him, Tommy suddenly smiled as he witnessed the glider which cut through the air, soon seeing Andros appear with Ashley riding behind him.

“Looks like you’re having a few technical problems.” Stated Tommy, smiling underneath his helmet.

Gasket’s eyes flared in anger, his sword slashing across the unprepared Zeo ranger’s chest…

----------

The explosion was clear for all to see.

Cole suddenly paused in mid-stride, glancing upwards at the frightening visual display of the Machine Fortress beginning to descend towards Earth, a trail of engulfing flames flowing right behind. He turned back to the raging battle there in front of him, the tides beginning to turn as the Wild Force rangers had been aided in their fight against the Cogs by the Galaxy rangers.

“Oh no! It’s gonna hit!” Shouted Cole, the reality of the situation dawning.

“But where?!” Came Danny’s cry as he fought alongside Max and Damon.

Kendrix launched a roundhouse kick at a nearby Cog, forcing it back. “From the trajectory, it looks like it might be headed towards…”

“… Mariner Bay!” Alyssa called out, finishing Kendrix’s sentence.

Leo quickly shook his head in shock. “We’ve got to warn them!”

Taylor ducked down low, avoiding the series of punches from a Cog as she countered with a quick leg sweep. Whilst Kai and Merrick fought around her, she reached for her Growl Phone in order to contact the others. Even with the warning, there just would not be any time for anyone to evacuate…

----------

Tommy staggered backwards, clutching his chest in pain. Just as Prince Gasket was about to press on with the attack, a destabilizing teleportation stream caught his attention, and he witnessed the form of his beloved Archerina falling to the ground in a heap. All other thoughts were forced out of his mind as Gasket rushed towards her, gathering her damaged body into his arms.

“My – my sweat, Archerina…” Her internal circuitry was severly damaged, the explosion aboard the fortress tearing her apart. “Please, please say something … anything!”

Archerina slowly turned her head, the light of her eyes beginning to fade. “I … die … but our love … and the glory of … of the Machine Empire … will live … on…” The last words slurred out of her vocal processors, her head beginning to slump to one side as her energy core finally died out.

“No … my love! Speak to me! Archerina!”

----------

Carter silently lowered his head, closing the link to his communicator as he shook his head towards the others. Dana, Kelsey, Joel, Chad and Ryan forced themselves past the surrounding Cogs, quickly reaching the spot where Carter stood alone. The Machine Fortress was now more than a simple spot in the sky, it was a towering fiery inferno that was headed directly towards them.

“What is it? What’s the news?” Inquired Joel.

“T-There’s nothing we can do.” Carter saw the shock go through each of his friends. “There’s just no time to call the zords, no time to evacuate … there’s just no time!” He rose his eyes skywards once more. “No time…”

The Lightspeed Rescue rangers stood around one another, looking silently towards the Machine Fortress. The surrounding Cogs had also stopped their assault, realising their own impending destruction along with the rangers.

“Wait!” Kelsey suddenly shouted out as she pointed towards the parting clouds. “It’s turning!”

The rangers looked on in shock as they witnessed the machine base begin to turn, its course suddenly changing away from the city center and towards the nearby sea…

----------

Explosions and fires erupted all around him, leaping for his unprotected flesh and burning both skin and clothing. The young man cried out in pain, his body slumped over the set of controls as the smoke sucked into his lungs like an infection. His eyes watered, his vision distorted as he slammed a burnt hand onto a command console, changing the crash vector of the Fortress away from Mariner Bay.

He slumped downwards, falling onto the floor as his body gave out, pulling his legs up towards him like in a fetal position, tears escaping his eyes as he accepted the hand of death. With every ounce of energy within him, he had forced his way to the bridge during the Machine Fortresses’ destruction, and now Billy could finally smile, knowing that with his last remaining breath he had saved everyone below.

He could now sleep, could rest for eternity. All consciousness had faded long before the Fortress hit the surface of the ocean, a tremendous wave rising upwards from the impact, crashing down onto the nearby city. Little by little the machine base began to sink, and the once blue ranger descended with it to the dark depths below…

End of Part X

[Zord_Crazy]

HOLY SHIT!!! That chapter rocked hard (No way I woulda thought Billy would save the day). I can't wait for the finale. Write on, man, write on!
:eek: :D

[bjlovel]

Billy finally got to be the hero. Can't wait till you wright more and post them. This is really good.

[DekaBlackSG-1]

sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeettttttttttttttttttt

[Lord ZEDD]

Great chapter I tought the Lightspeed rangers were dead for sure nice twist good that Billy didn't die in vain.

[DekaBlackSG-1]

Come on next chap

[Knuckles]

Due to renovations at home, I haven't been able to get on my comp for a while. So the next chapter hasn't been started yet. I'll try to get in done by this coming Saturday.

[it's time for a gold rush]

that was awesome, billy died a hero. I wish I could write as good as you. :(

[jediranger]

Okay, I just read all of the chapters tonight and while it was a very good fic, I found some things that no one else said and while good critisim is good, you also need some bad, so I'm going to say some things that I didn't like about. First, if you are going to follow the timeline of the PR universe, you need to remember some things. First is how did Gasket and Archeina(sp?) come back to life? Remember, they were destoyed in Countdown to Destruction by Zordan's energy wave. Next is how did some of the rangers get there powers back? If you remember, Kim gave Kat her power coin, hence a transfer, she no longer had it. How did the Ninja Storm rangers as I'm going to call them get they powers back too? Lother had all the powers in Cam's morphing device with him when he was casted into the Abbys of Destruction or whatever it was that he was casted into at the end of Ninja Storm. What about the president, did he just see the rangers power down and not even have a reaction to who they are? Also, while it was good that Billy saved the day, I completly forgot he was even in the fic to begin with becuase the only time he was mention was at the very beggining and then he just vanished and we never heard from him again. What happened to him while he was in the spaceship, what did the Machine Empire do to him? How come he never tried to escape? I still have a few more things that I either I didn't like or that was wrong. If I'm not mistaken, wasn't Gasket the youngest son and Arechian(sp?) the wife or something of the oldest son of Kind Mando? And if I'm not mistaken again, they didn't really like each other that much. Last thing that I can think of has to do with I think Tommy's last battle secne. Why was he using the ZEO powers? I mean, I know those were suppose to be the strongest powers around, but I think it's been proven that they aren't. So why not just use the Dino Powers since they actully did prove did be stronger then his ZEO powers since as the Black Dino Ranger, Tommy manage to take down a monster that was grown all by himself? Well, I think that is all that I found wrong with it. Besides those things, it is a good fic and I can't wait for the next part. Sry about this being so long, didn't think I would write that much and it's the most I've written and the first time in a long time.

[Lord ZEDD]

Jediranger you got alot of things wrong on this one.

First is how did Gasket and Archeina(sp?) come back to life? Remember, they were destoyed in Countdown to Destruction by Zordan's energy wave.

No they were not. There whereabouts are unknown after Zeo. C2D only showed Mondo and his group die Gasket and those loyal to him were never even shown and weren't part of the alliance.

Next is how did some of the rangers get there powers back? If you remember, Kim gave Kat her power coin, hence a transfer, she no longer had it.

She gave her Ninja coin to Kat not her power coin. Her Ninja coin was the one destroyed by Goldar. her other coin was just damaged how its working now is probraly the same way Jasons was and that was never explained in Forever Red.

If I'm not mistaken, wasn't Gasket the youngest son and Arechian(sp?) the wife or something of the oldest son of Kind Mando? And if I'm not mistaken again, they didn't really like each other that much

Gasket was the oldest son and yes thats his wife. Sproket was the youngest and yes he is dead but he isn't in the fic. Gasket didn't like his father but he did want to become the king and rule Earth and he has a hatred for Tommy and the other Zeo Rangers. Plus when did he say it was of his fathers death that he was attacking earth?

The rest of your qestion are valid though I kinda wonder why Tommy was useing the Zeo powers myself.

[Zord_Crazy]

Aah, I say "read and let live"! Not all fanfics make perfect sense (and since I write one, I know not all my stuff is logical somedays). At the end of the day, just kick back, relax, crack open a cold drink (Jolt Cola for me :023: ), and enjoy what some one has put out there for you to enjoy! At least that's my opinion; I could be wrong!!! (heh, Dennis Miller quotes rock!!)

[jediranger]

Lord Zedd

I admit that I was wrong on the whole Gasket Archina(sp?) thing. I guess being on the road for most of yesterday on being late tonight mess' with your brain. I even looked at Ranger Centals database for ZEO as I was typing this and I still got it wrong. But about the whole Kim still having her originle power coin, I still belive I am right about her not being able to morph. Remember, the whole reason that they went on that quest was to get NEW power coins. I know that Adam had a power coin in Space, but that too is a little effiy for me. I mean for all we know, that could have just been Zach's power coin as even though the episode that showed Adam and the other two recive powers was called the power transfer and we know the reason the other rangers where still morphed was becuase the actors had already quit or whatever the deal was, it is still spectalted by some that they just copied those powers. Once again, I might be wrong on everything I just said about the new coins just like I was wrong on Gasket and them being destyoed. I forgot that they never said what happened to him. Also, I never mention anything about it being about his father dieing so I don't know where that comment came from.

Knuckles, I just thought of one more thing that I didn't get and that had to do with Billy again. If it was like Lord Zedd said and that the old rangers still had the orginal coins, then why didn't he try to morph. Notice the try, I realize that he couldn't recieve the Gold Rangers power, but that should mean that he might be able to use the Orginal Blue ranger powers. That was something else you could have put in if Billy was in it more. Another thing I just thought of is where is Merrick and how come he isn't helping the other Wild Force Rangers out?

Zedd, thanks for telling me the things I said I thought were wrong and I ended up being wrong. Also, I just saw your last past after I replyed and I'm sorry but I have to say something about you saying that not all fics need to be perfect. While I agree with that, if you do a fic based off a show you still need to make sure to do some things, that is not to change what happened in the show in your fic. So like saying Korne is the Pink Galaxy Ranger even though the team-up in Lightspeed rescure shows that Kendrix is the true ranger. It is okay to make up stuff that could happen like in some fics I've read there have been two new colors for the Time Force Rangers. I can't remember what else I want to say since it's past midnight here, so Zedd, if you want to talk more about this, you can reach me one of two ways. The first is if you have AIM, my screen name is jedimaster2200 and the second is Yahoo mesenger and my screen name there is trackgamer.

[Ag Phoenix]

I've read all the chapters already and I must say...you are a genius man. I thoght I had seen it all with your Tribe work but you never cease to amaze me. Can't wait to see the next part.

[it's time for a gold rush]

hey jediranger you are forgetting why billy couldn't recieve the gold ranger power's. remember when the command centre blew up and billy fell on top of some of those control panels. well when he did this negative energy (I think that's what they called it in the show) entered his body and he wasn't able to morph since.

[jediranger]

hey jediranger you are forgetting why billy couldn't recieve the gold ranger power's. remember when the command centre blew up and billy fell on top of some of those control panels. well when he did this negative energy (I think that's what they called it in the show) entered his body and he wasn't able to morph since.

Actully it's time for a gold rush, I did not forgot that, I just was too lazy and too tired to write that stuff in. And if I remember corcectly from that episode, all Billy said was the negative ions as they called it just rejected the gold ranger powers, they never said anything about him morphing again. But I could be wrong one that as I haven't seen the episode in a while. And also, I said that Billy might be able to morph. I mean, it's what, seven or eight years since he aborsed all the negative ions, I mean, they could have just left his body or maybe something that the Alien Rangers did could have made them dissapeared. All I know is that I think Billy shouldn't have been forgeten after the first chapter.

[Morose Angel]

And also, I said that Billy might be able to morph. I mean, it's what, seven or eight years since he aborsed all the negative ions, I mean, they could have just left his body or maybe something that the Alien Rangers did could have made them dissapeared. All I know is that I think Billy shouldn't have been forgeten after the first chapter.

It was explicitly stated in the first chapter of this fanfic that Billy had neglected to bring his Power Morpher to Aquitar, so whether or not he could've successfully morphed is unimportant. As far as the gap between appearances by Billy..I have to disagree. It was excellently executed. He started off in the most bleak position of them all, actually a slight detriment to the others (as he was building cogs). At first, the reader would expect Billy to make some progress or to at least reappear later, however, he becomes an unlikely hero, saving the day when you least expected him to show-up.

[Knuckles]

Ok, I think it's time that I made an appearance and clear up a few things.

1: First of all, I seriously apologise for the long delay in the next chapter, I know it's been almost three weeks but I have been really busy with things, and you'll have noticed that I haven't posted on RB at all.

2: Prince Gasket is the oldest son, Sproket (sp) is who you are thinking about. Prince Gasket and Archerina were not in Countdown to Destruction, so they were not affected by Zordon's energy wave.

3: Kimberly gave Kat her Ninja coin, not her original power coin, and since Jason could use his power coin in Forever Red, I assumed that the other originals could be used once more.

4: I didn't make this abundantly clear, but it takes place after the DT and NS team up, where I'm assuming that the retrieve their powers. You'll notice that I dropped some hints of this with Conner recognising Shane and Hunter when the red rangers appeared in Reefside.

5: I can't remember the part I wrote about the President, if it is, then that's just a small mistake on my part. Then again, not like it matters, as it's not as if he'd recognise them or anything.

6: Wrong, Billy was not just in the first chapter and I never forgot about him, I simply downplayed his appearances for the reasons which Morose Angel outlined. I clearly explained that he left his power morpher back on Earth, his feelings and emotions as he was captured and forced to create Cogs, and his thoughts on how he could possibly escape. He became the unknown hero of the day.

7: Simple answer to the next question of the last battle scene. It just seemed fitting for Tommy to use the Zeo powers to tackle Gasket, and it also shows that he hasn't forgotten about them as the rest of the team can use theirs.

8: Again, you must have skipped things. Merrick clearly helped his friends out when they were going to surrender their morphers.

9: Well, Kendrix is Lost Galaxy pink, so there's no problem there.

Phew, ok, I think that's all the questions you had. With something like this, I knew I had to keep as close to continuity as possible, and I think I've done a great job. Most of the things you say are wrong, as you can see, are not. So I'll end this by saying that as soon as I've posted this reply, I'm getting to work on finishing this fic.

Thanks for all the compliments everyone. ;)

[Knuckles]

Well here it is, the very last part of the fic. I'm a little short on time at the moment, so I haven't had a chance to read over it - hence there might be one or two small mistakes. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it, and I'll be back in a day or so to see what people thought...


Legacy of Power: The Machine War
[Finale] Part XI: “The Legacy”

Hope. In one glorious moment the fate of their lives, and the lives of all those still in the city, had changed. The six defenders of Mariner Bay had been forced to resign themselves to their impending death, but a sudden unknown force had changed all this. As one, they could only gaze outwards in stunned awe and amazement as the impressive structure of the Machine Fortress plummeted into the nearby dark blue sea.

A glistening veil of wetness could be seen throughout the reaches of the city, the remnants of the large tidal wave which still ran down the length of their uniforms. Carter, Dana, Kelsey, Joel, Chad and Ryan all remained silent, each trying to absorb the newfound hope and life which had been given to them. The stillness was only broken by the sound of the confused Cogs.

Dana continued to take several steps back, her heart pumping so fast that it caused an instant wave of dizziness. Ryan quickly turned to her, placing a hand on her shoulder to steady her shaking form. Together they looked out as the last of the Machine Fortress disappeared beneath the distorted waves.

“I can’t believe this…” Whispered Kelsey, stunned. “Why … how did it change course?”

Carter slowly forced himself to look away, turning back to the disorganised Cogs all around them. “… I don’t know, but we’ve been given another chance to finish this. We can’t waste it!”

One by one the other Lightspeed rangers nodded, pulling themselves together as they got back into a fighting stance. Carter was right, whatever happened up there, their lives and part in this war was not yet over. They could fight on and see this through to the end...

… Whatever the outcome…

----------

The air continued to grow more dense, more constricted, but he knew that this was only an illusion caused by the slowing of the beating of his heart, and his lungs circulating oxygen around the length of his body. All he could see was darkness, a darkness that could have been either because his eyes were closed, or perhaps because he was losing consciousness.

Jason suddenly coughed, each cough draining a little more of his life. The pain on his chest grew worse, his arms unable to move, and the feeling gradually dulled in his legs. A part of him wanted to keep fighting to stay within this life, but another wanted him to finally let go, to surrender to the calmness of what might lay beyond.

He saw a light, so small, so thin, yet he could somehow feel it’s warmth, could sense that it was a beacon which was trying to guide him. Another appeared, then another, particles of light continuing to pierce through the darkness. Jason silently smiled, accepting his fate as he stared into the light…

----------

The light was blinding, caused by the quick succession of energy fire which the Cogs unleashed towards the four rangers. Eric, Katie, Trip and Lucas had no time to escape, their forms falling through the air as they were each caught in the explosion. The sound of the Cogs quickly drew nearer as they approached to finish off the Time Force rangers.

Eric quickly reacted, sweeping his feet to catch the first two which came within range, before flipping himself back up onto his feet, avoiding the sudden swing of the third, and countering with a forward punch of his own. The hit connected, forcing the Cog back, and by this time, the others had made it back onto their feet.

Only a short distance nearby, Jen’s line of sight was suddenly forced to one side, propelled by the punch to the side of her head. It took her a brief moment to recover, her gaze glancing over the still unconscious form of Wes. She had to quickly react. Withdrawing her blaster from it’s holder, Jen fired towards the oncoming Cogs, her precision aiming ringing true. Sparks burst from across their forms…

----------

Sparks flew, emerging from the powerful impact of the blunt weapon against the unprotected chest of the Cog. Dustin quickly pulled back his Lion Hammer, instantly concentrating as he initiated a Ninja Dirt Dive. He soon appeared back out into the open, having avoided the counters from the other Cogs who had tried to attack. Turning quickly, he hurled his hammer into the ground with full force, causing a small resonating quake which unbalanced all the machines nearby.

He breathed out hard, his lungs burning, but a smile nevertheless forming on his lips. The machine forces were simply no match for the combined efforts of the rangers and the other ninja students. As Dustin turned towards the others, a flash of crimson and navy caught his attention, revealing Hunter and Blake blocking attacks with the twirl of their thunder staffs.

“Guys … heads up!”

The call of Tori’s voice caused him to turn once more, witnessing both Shane and Cam back-flip out of the way as the blue Wind ranger summoned her inner ninja skills. Cupping her hands together, a stream of blue water began to rush out with unstoppable force, connecting against the Cogs which the two had been engaged with a moment before.

Electricity danced along the Cogs bodies as they quickly malfunctioned and fell to the ground…

----------

The Cogs fell to the ground, forced back by the combined strength of both the Wild Force and Lost Galaxy rangers. It was only a moment before that they had all witnessed the Machine Fortress veering sharply off course, crashing into the sea instead of Mariner Bay. Though confused, they all fought on, the Cogs beginning to falter until only a few now remained.

Cole, Leo and Merrick fought side by side, the Cogs in their path no real match for the two red rangers and the single silver ranger. Around them the others continued to fight on: Maya, Taylor, Kai, Max, Damon, Danny, Kendrix and Alyssa.

Kai jumped into the air, the kick slamming into the upper chest of the last remaining Cog, sending it crashing into the wall of an apartment complex. Sparks began to burst from across it's form as it twitched then moved no more. “I - Is it over?”

Cole slowly unclenched his fists, demorphing in a blaze of light. "... It's over."

One by one the two sets of rangers each demorphed, heaving a prolonged sigh of relief. They had done all that they could, but the final fight rested on the shoulders of the others…

----------

“Oh, it’s over!”

Propelling the Thundersaursus Megazord forward, Conner, Kira and Ethan each unleashed their chosen techniques: the Ptera-rang sliced through the approaching quadra fighters, the Tricera-fist crushed into the Cogs on the ground, and the Tyranno-drill lashed out in a huge sidewards swipe, destroying the last of the machine forces in Reefside.

It wasn’t long before Hayley’s voice came through the communications system. “Guy’s you’ve done it! That’s the last of the Cogs in the city!”

“What about Dr O?” Inquired Ethan. “Any word?”

“No … nothing yet.”

Kira fell silent. “Hayley, don’t worry. He’ll stop Prince Gasket, I just know he will…”

----------

The red ranger suddenly cried out, the pain on his chest sharply increasing before instantly easing as the large piece of debris was lifted off from on top of him. He grinded his teeth in pain, slowly opening up his eyes to gaze into the smiling faces of Kat, Justin and Carlos. Realisation gradually dawned that the light he had seen wasn’t the light of death – it was the light of day as the rubble was being moved out of the way.

“Jason!” Came Kat’s voice as she smiled down at him. “Thank God you’re alright. Just hold on … we’ll get you out of there!”

Together with Justin and Carlos, the three rangers continued on with their efforts. Only a few feet away, Andros, Adam, Ashley, TJ, Cassie and Zhane battled with the Cogs who pushed forward their assault, all the while protecting Trini who looked over Kimberly, Rocky, Tanya and Zack. But further away from all this, the remaining prince of the Machine Empire cradled the fallen Archerina, his dark red eyes flaring as he glanced the shadow of Tommy walking towards him.

“It’s over Gasket.” Said Tommy, cautiously. “Give it up … you’ve lost.”

Prince Gasket did not respond, he simply continued to gaze into the dead features of Archerina, carefully placing her head back down onto the concrete ground which lay beneath her. All the while, his hand slowly reached for his sword. Tommy instantly saw the movement, executing a quick kick which sent the piece of steel flying from his grasp.

“No … No! … Nooo!”

In blinding indescribable rage, Prince Gasket lunged forward, the sudden attack still catching Tommy by surprise. The punch slammed into Tommy’s head, spinning his vision, his sight not able to see the next hit which connected into his stomach. He cried out, the sound gurgling out of his lips as Gasket crushed his elbow into the red Zeo ranger’s spine, using the downwards momentum to push Tommy into the ground.

In pain, Tommy tried to block the next attack with his arms, but Gasket did not go for his face, he went for his chest, the kick, rolling Tommy along the ground for a few feet. Trying to shake the dizziness and pain from his system, Tommy executed a quick fake punch, Gasket taking the bait so that he could unleash the real attack – a swift leg sweep.

Prince Gasket was brought to the ground, and Tommy used this chance to try and recover from the assault. As his vision somewhat cleared, he witnessed the machine prince head towards him once more, but this time he was ready. The first punch he clearly ducked, the second was sloppy due to his anger. Still Tommy bided his time, waiting for a better opening. His spinning roundhouse kick deflected the next punch which Gasket sent, the follow-through connecting against his shoulder.

“Aaugh!”

Gasket staggered back, his right arm losing mobility as sparks ruptured from it’s circuitry. He was unprepared to block Tommy’s next attack, the sudden drop kick creating a series of sparks across his metallic chest. Once more he was thrown to the ground, any visions of victory scattered amongst the ruins of his fortress and the form of Archerina. It truly was over. The rangers had stopped him.

Tommy cautiously stepped towards him, pausing after each step as he expected another attack. He soon reached the close vicinity of the machine prince, calling for his Zeo sword to swing the final downward strike. Without a word of warning, Gasket suddenly reached out and grabbed both of Tommy’s legs, forcing him downwards as he then pulled him towards him.

“You’re right … I have lost!” Madness inflicted Prince Gasket’s eyes. “But I can still take you with me!”

As Tommy struggled to free himself, he suddenly heard the strange sound that he had noticed a moment before, a low almost silent tone which was beginning to rise in both frequency and strength. Realisation suddenly dawned that Gasket had initiated some sort of self-destruct. The red Zeo ranger continued to try and break free, but Gasket’s hold on him continued to tighten…

A sudden unknown force broke Prince Gasket’s hold, a cry sounding from his lips at being denied his last and only victory. Tommy looked on in a daze as the ground beneath him quickly flashed by, soon realising that he had been pulled up onto one of the space ranger’s gliders. It wasn’t long before Andros’ distinct voice called out for him to hang on.

Tommy turned back, watching as an intense explosion erupted from Gasket’s core, destroying everything around him in a wide circular radius. Shards from his body were flung everywhere, raining down onto the ground and merging with the scattered bodies of Cogs, and the body of Archerina…

----------

One week later…

Sunlight slowly peeked from beyond the veil of clouds, casting a dull warmth down onto the scene below. A light breeze gradually blew past, wiping away stray tears as easily as it tugged at loose clothing. A single male voice broke the silence which echoed profoundly, addressing all those who were gathered nearby.

“We may never know all that he was forced to go through, his new life being destroyed before his own eyes, having to watch as the other rangers were killed, and then forced to create Cogs which would fight his own friends…” Tommy lowered his gaze from the faces all around him, and turned towards the newly upturned earth and headstone. “We may never know the suffering of his final moments, when he used the last of his strength to save Mariner Bay and it’s citizens.

But what we do know is that Billy was a great ranger, and more importantly, was a greater friend. He was someone who would help anyone no matter who they were, was someone who wasn’t defined by the power – who continued to help all of us even when he was no longer a ranger. He was and is a hero…”

Tommy did not try to hide the pain and hurt in his eyes, still remembering the sight of his body which was found amongst the recovered wreckage of the crash. “We’ll miss you Billy, but will never ever forget you.”


Here lies Billy Cranston
Ally, protector and friend...


End of Legacy of Power: The Machine War

[Zord_Crazy]

Damn, that was a sweet way to end an arse-kicking good fanfic. :) :D :cool: :007: :023: :088: I hope you come out with another one that good!!

[WolfLMG]

How did it end for the other ranger teams?

[y3k]

now that....was awsome.

Now I'm going to need to find new fanfics to read...both this one and Prelude are over...

[bjlovel]

Awesome. This was great. Hope you do something else like this in the future.

[SPD Master]

I nominate this as fanfic of the millenium

[demonranger]

I nominate this as fanfic of the millenium

i second that.

[it's time for a gold rush]

awesome story man. I loved the way it ended.

[Knuckles]

Thanks for all the great replies you guys have given, and for taking the time to read the fic. It means alot. :)

[Ag Phoenix]

This is one of the best fics I have ever read. You captured everything so well...really had me on the edge of my seat. Can't wait for your next story.

-Kenny

PS- I know this is a cheap plug...but everyone check out my fic Power Rangers: High Guard and please let me know what you think of it. Thanks in advance.

[PHAETON]

Job well done, Knuckles a job well done...

[Lord ZEDD]

Great work to bad its over all ready this was the last fic I really see worthy of reading at rangerboard nothing else intrests me at the moment. Any thanks for the great fic hope you do something else later on.

[Knuckles]

It feels like its been ages, but its only been a month now since the fic ended. Anyway, I thought I'd let you guys know that I'm going to be starting something new soon...