Power Rangers Forever: Fire and Ice- FOREWORD

[BattleRanger]

Go to www.geocities.com/rangerssaga/ for more Fire and Ice

FOREWORD

To run through the pages of time's own journals of interstellar wars and brilliant civilizations, one would certainly spend a moment passing over the chronicles of a race of humans called the Eltarians and their struggle against an evil force as ancient as the time that recorded it. The Dairakun Knights, militant believers of the mysterious Dairaku religion, struck the planet at the height of its existence, doing so accordingly to their own holy scroll's prophecy. So it was written that the malicious Dairakun Knights would claim the crown jewel world of their own star system for their demon-queen deity, Jenova. However, the Eltarians were not without their own holy doctrine.

In a tradition as old as the race of humans itself, a group of warriors battling with the speed and cunning of their sacred animals would defend the planet. Once chosen, they would draw their strength from a mystical energy that seemed to penetrate the very core of the universe and was known simply as the Power. Becoming a superhuman fighting force known as Power Rangers, a selected group of five warriors waged countless battles with the Dairakun Knights. Centuries later, under the fearless command of Prince Zordon of Eltar, the Power Rangers were contested by the technological might of a new sect of Dairakun soldiers under the influence of a demonic warlord known as Maelstrom. Spoken of as the Immortal Vast, his forces managed to sweep across the outlying systems before claiming the toxic and uninhabitable world of Carinasia for his own. In a display of marvelous modern might, he colonized its dead lands where his evil would flourish. Unfortunately, the Power Rangers would soon lose one of their own to the influence of Maelstrom's black powers.

Sih Caien Zedd, who served the Power Rangers as the Green Zyraku Ranger and wielded the powers of the dragon, pledged his services to this Immortal Vast and lead their forces with the might of his own war machine, the DragonZord. Betrayed by his close friend, Prince Zordon constructed his own device of destruction named Serpentara. In his moment of achievement, the planet was shadowed by the terrifying announcement that Maelstrom had a weapon so great, it would rob an entire planet of life in a matter of minutes. With the completion of his Dairaku Cannon at hand, the Rangers rushed to meet Maelstrom''s wicked armies.

Left without the protection of their Rangers, the Eltarian people were vulnerable to the destructive force of Maelstrom's cannon. Splitting into its two firing mechanisms, the cannon stationed itself apart at the planet's north and south poles. A wave of energy flame swept the surface of the planet, exterminating the unfortunate persons that did not find their way to the shelter of space.

Battling across the stars, Zordon, bearing the visage of the Red Zyraku Ranger, met General Zedd on the planet of Chephicus, a blackened world, that spewed oceans of boiling toxic water from its unstable core. Zordon managed to best Zedd in a battle of swordsmanship that left the dark general burning alive in the waters of the Sanagen Sea. Using an exercise taught to him by his lord Maelstrom, Zedd managed his way out of certain death, but the damage had been done. Bereaved of his flesh, he would spend the next several months comatose in a hyperbaric chamber within the mystical Pyramids of Orion, unholy temples constructed on Carinasia. Bathed in sacred minerals and oils, he soon found his consciousness which was filled only with revenge.

Reborn Lord Zedd of the Immortal Vast, he managed stability by way of a energy-inducing exoskeleton suit. In his first battle against the Power Rangers since his supposed death, he managed to capture Zordon's flagship vehicle, Serpentara. Dumbfound at the return of his nemesis, Zordon quickly put the tradition back into play, drafting a new team of Power Rangers. His new team of Rangers would command a fleet of fighting machines, known as the ZyrakuZords. By his own design, they would have the ability to form together in a singular form, though more powerful than their own combined firepower as separate Zords. Christened the MegaZord, it proved a worthy adversary to the combined might of the DragonZord and Serpentara. In an attempt to re-activate the Dairaku Cannon, Zedd returned to the planet Eltar where he was quickly re-engaged in war.

As this battle waged on, Maelstrom sought to apprentice a new general for his armies. He chose Deviot Jindrax, who turned on the dark lord and followed his own greed for galactic supremacy. Striking Maelstrom down, he took the warlord's mysterious pendant, the Black Star, and vanished, leaving the Immortal Vast in the tyrannical control of Lord Nereus, another of Maelstrom's generals and High Priest of the Dairaku. Nereus retreated his new armies to Carinasia, abandoning Lord Zedd to continue his personal struggle against Zordon of Eltar. Unfortunately for the dark lord, the sheer might of the Power Rangers and their MegaZord proved too much for him as they overcame his personal battalions of Immortal Vast soldiers.

As punishment for the near complete loss of the Eltarian people, Lord Zedd was sentenced to Eavina's Wake by a galactic tribunal. The Vast legion lord was restrained and set within a burial crypt, within a ceremonial casket known as a Jirad. Following ancient Eltarian tradition, the Jirad was then filled with special waters that preserve the prisoner for the prophesied day when the sovereign elder gods of Eltar would return to judge those that were sentenced to such a fate. With little sign of any Immortal Vast retaliation, the Eltarians sought to colonize a nearby lush, blue-green planet, designated Neo-Eltar. Zordon's destiny would be to follow his design for a master plan and see that if the shroud of darkness should ever befall the universe again, that a new team of Power Rangers would be prepared to take up the fight of their ancestors.

[BattleRanger]

Go to www.geociites.com/rangerssaga/ for more Fire and Ice

Part One

A Nation Divided

It was the greatest war in American history. Three million fought- an astounding 600,000 died. This great yet terrible war was the only one fought on American soil by Americans. In the mid 1800s, the United States would be torn apart by this turn of events. Since the beginning of the colonies more than 200 years earlier, two regions of the country had developed in very different ways. They were not the same for many reasons, but the rising tensions began separating the fabric of our sovereignty. By 1860, after failed years of compromise on many issues, the outbreak of war was something that could not be prevented. The time of serenity and unity would be utterly shattered by the Civil War of the American people.

The dark-haired teenager yawned despairingly, obviously unexcited concerning the history of his own country. He tapped the dull yellow pencil against the pages of the textbook, sounding out a rhythm that faded out as he yawned again. He rubbed his eyes, the loss of sleep taking its toll on his body. He glanced at the page of the United States History book before him . . . cannons, bayonets, the sixteenth President, Abraham Lincoln . . . from . . . what was it? . . . that's right, Hardin County, Kentucky. Apparently, the information he had been studying paid off. The young man was Jason Lee Scott, a third degree black belt in karate and fan of testosterone driven rock and roll and heavy metal. A silver hoop earing hung from his left ear, his spiked hair ending at a short-shaven sideburn. A white tank top peered out from beneath a red plaid button up shirt, topped by a silver cross necklace. His lifelong friend, Adam, sat in the next row, equally bored, and similarly dressed, save for his black teeshirt.

"This war was one of many that was the result of the persecution of a group of innocent people. The Civil War spilled the blood of our ancestors in an attempt to free the enslaved masses that were bound silent without their own voice. The Union armies managed to liberate the slaves of the peoples of the south. This war was reflected almost a hundred years later in the second World War as recently elected Chancellor of Germany, Adolf Hitler, perpetrated one of the greatest tragedies in modern history, a Nazi mass murder of the Jewish people known as the Holocaust. However, the Jews were not only the victims of Nazism. It is estimated that as many as 15 million civilians were murdered by this racist regime, including millions of other ethnic groups," Ms. Appleby explained. Without warning, the high-pitched chorus of chimes came from the circular metal bell fixed just above the entrance way. The ringing of the bell came as a surprise to the teacher, who had planned to review more material before breaking for the day. She glanced at her watch and checked the time to be three-thirty pm.

"Alright students, we will begin our discussion of the wars of the modern era on Monday. Have a safe weekend and be sure to have your chapter questions completed to be turned in when we return," She announced before returning to her desk.

"Weekend, here we come." Adam said, cramming his book into his backpack.

"No doubt, bro." Jason added, grabbing his notebook and following Adam out the doorway and into the hall.

"Big time!" the voice came from a tall, black teenager who was wearing oversized silvery jeans and a Los Angeles Raiders football jersey. Zack Taylor came striding up, strutting with a cocky confidence that was capped off by his lopsided, mischievous grin. Jason grinned and slapped hands with the dark male.

"We'll be in the big time once we get off JV." Jason reminded. Zack's grin came crashing down as he rolled his eyes.

"Come on bro! Tonight's the night." Zack emphatically declared. "Coach Hardy just told me that part of our team will get to play tonight against Stone Canyon." Jason halfheartedly smiled as Zack grabbed Adam by the neck in a playful chokehold.

"Remember man, we got Stone Cold Adam Park over here . . . myself, the most electrifying man in High School sports today, and . . ." Zack paused, grinning at Jason. Jason posed, flexing his muscles, imitating professional wrestler Triple H, causing Adam and Zack to burst out into laughter.

"The Cerebral Assassin, The GAME!" Jason shouted, straining his neck out in parody of the pro wrestler. Zack's laughing came to a sudden halt. Their eyes darted, glancing at the students that had gathered around them. Jason quickly noticed the Angel Grove Tiger's star quarterback, Nick Hibriten, wearing his gold and blue lettermen jacket, step through the crowd.

"You better get your game faces on, rookies. Or those Stone Canyon Eagles are gonna eat you alive. And if you get in my way . . . you won't have to worry about them." the blonde haired six foot four, 225-pound all star threatened. Jason swallowed his pride and took a deep breath before turning away and retreating to his locker. The hallway resumed its normal after-school chaotic pace as Zack and Adam slowly approached Jason.

"Don't worry bro. Ol 'roid head has his head too far up Coach Hardy's ass to see the light of day. Not to mention those UCLA scouts." Zack noted. Jason nodded and locked his locker.



Down the hallway, the computer lab was busy with students applying to colleges, researching homework, and two particular students fixed around a monitor showing a NASA space shuttle launching. Trini Kwan and Billy Cranston sat at the desk, watching a QuickTime video of a female reporter.

"California astronaut, Jake Cranston, was selected as the pilot for NASA's first manned mission to Mars, the shuttle Sovereignty. Cranston is a graduate of astrophysics at UCLA and is part of a team of young scientists at NASA, nicknamed the Young Guns. The crew of the shuttle Sovereignty will be in Cape Canaveral this weekend after a meeting with President John Mitchell in Washington that is slated for this afternoon. Liftoff is slated for next week, weather permitting."

"That's so prodigious, Billy." Trini, the young Vietnamese-American female noted. Billy pushed his glasses back up the ridge of his nose, grinning.

"Yeah, my parents are psyched. They're leaving for Florida tomorrow morning." he returned. As they spoke, a brunette girl came running in, dressed in a cheerleading uniform. Kimberly Hart felt out of place in the computer lab but was in such a mad rush that the surroundings never really took full effect on her.

"Trini!" she yelled.

"Hey girl." Trini replied. Billy rolled his eyes and turned back in his chair.

"What's your problem, robo-geek?" she asked, curling her lip in exaggerated disgust. "Anyway, Trini, in the morning, my parents are flying to Palm Springs for their anniversary, so I'm throwing a party tomorrow night. Valerie Chandler's brother, Robert, is a DJ and she got him booked for me. Its gonna be bitchin, girl." Kimberly exclaimed at such a fast speed that one would wonder how she managed to keep her lips from setting on fire, as Billy usually noted.

"I don't know Kim, I . . ." Trini began as Kimberly cut her off, running her hand down Billy's shoulder.

"You can even bring astroboy," she added. Billy looked up, his face blushing. Kimberly gave him a sultry look and he was quickly brought to his feet, which for a second, he questioned their hold on the carpeted floor.

"Sure! We'll be there!" Billy replied quickly. Trini sighed at Billy's lack of control over his hormones and nodded at Kimberly. "We'll be there." She echoed Billy's blurt. Kimberly bounced through the double doors to the east hall, making her way to cheerleading practice and ran into Zack, who was walking with Jason and Adam to the parking lot. She gave him a disgusted look and continued down to the gymnasium.

"Watch where you're going, mallrat!" Zack hollered. Adam laughed as Zack dusted his shirt, as if contact with the cheerleader left him covered in dirt.

"You riding with me?" Jason asked Adam. Zack quickly ran off to his truck to meet the girls that were gathered around a car next to it.

"Catch ya at the factory!" Zack yelled back as he strutted up to the girls. "Hello ladies. Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?" Adam turned back to Jason.

"Lets go." He smiled. They loaded up in Jason's candy red Chevy pickup as Jason hit the play button on his CD Player. Techno-Heavy Metal music filled the truck's cab as the two vehicles pulled from the parking lot.



The Metal Factory was set amongst gas stations to the left of a small shopping center on the outskirts of Angel Grove. Black-painted brick ran the length of its walls, decorated with intentional graffiti, advertising drink specials and various specials the club offered. Inside, neon and flashing lights shone off the teenage customers standing at arcade games, pinball machines, and pool tables as frosties. The said drink was an ice cold concoction that mixed soft drinks and sports drinks with fruit flavors and such was served up by waitresses in black mini skirts, fishnet shirts over colored tops, excessive makeup, and dyed hair.

"A cherry Dr. Pepper frosty." Jason shouted over the music being projected by large speakers set behind the booth where he sat with Adam and Zack. The waitress scribbled on a white pad of paper and returned to the bar.

"You still entering the tournament?" Jason asked Adam. Adam spun his straw around in his hands.

"I don't really know. Competitive karate's really not my thing." Adam replied. Jason nodded and shot his eyes back at the counter to check on the progress of their drinks.

"I'm not doing it so much for the competition as I am to try and get my name out there. If enough people take notice, it'll help when I finally get my dojo open." Jason explained. With that, their waitress returned with the drinks.

"One cherry Dr. Pepper frosty," she said, handing the drink to Jason, "a grape Sprite frosty," she added, handing Adam his drink, "and a cherry limeade." Zack reached for his drink and reached for a straw. He jammed the straw down into his drink and took a sip.

"Just keep your heads in the game, fellas. Coach really put some responsibility on our shoulders by letting us play Stone Canyon tonight. If we win this one, we'll be district champs." Zack reminded. Jason nodded, setting his drink down.



The sprawling campus of the University of California at Los Angeles sat majestic in the late afternoon sunlight. A silvery SUV made its way down Wilshire Blvd. before hanging a left onto Westwood Blvd. Hayley Morgan sat in the plush chair, her long brown hair streaming down her face. She looked over her sunglasses, brushing a brunette lock from her view. She drove through Westwood Village, turning onto Charles Young Dr. to the Experimental Sciences Building. She parked the vehicle in the adjacent parking building and locked the door. Her briefcase held tightly, she made her way into the building before meeting her supervisor, Dr. Weston.

"Hayley . . . I would have thought you'd be on your way to Florida by now." the man said behind thick glasses. Grey hairs peeked out from a head of black hair that was trimmed short and proper. Hayley smiled and assumed a new grip on her briefcase.

"I had considered it . . . but you know I don't do too well with the press. Jake's gonna be so busy with everything, getting ready for the launch . . . we both decided it'd be best if I stayed. Besides . . . we're on the threshold of a breakthrough."

"Just don't run yourself into the ground, young lady. Lock up when you leave, and Hayley . . . Good luck this weekend." Dr. Weston added before walking through the double doors to the parking garage.



Angel Hills Subdivision . . .

"So how's Washington?" Billy inquired, holding the phone between his chin and shoulder. Trini sat at his computer in the rigid desk chair while Billy had opted for the plushness of his blue plaid bed comforter. Billy nodded his head as he continued his conversation with his brother. Click-click-tap-click-tap . . . the keys of the sprawling keyboard pierced the air as Trini gathered her research on fusion for the science project she was working on with Billy.

"She's staying at the campus?" Billy inquired. Trini rolled the mouse over several images of fusion researchers and glanced at Billy who was heavily involved with his phone conversation. She clicked the mouse a few more times and sighed desperately.

"Billy, lemme know when you get off the phone . . . I can't get these formulas to download," Trini said to Billy as he gave her a thumbs-up, "I'm gonna check the game." With that, she moved in the chair to Billy's bookshelf and turned the radio on. After a quick dial to the local station, she increased the volume.



"And with that, the Tigers lead the Eagles fourteen to ten. The Eagles quarterback Kurt Fowler looks to even the odds with this next play. Here's the kick off . . . and a perfect catch at the ten-yard line. Fowler up the middle, he's at the twenty . . ."

The sickening sounds of helmets and padding crashing split the early night air, echoing into the stands. Adam felt a rush of adrenaline surge through his body, making his skin feel as if it were on fire. The air in his lungs had escaped him as he fought to breathe in. The bright lights faded out to a dim glow, the roar of the crowd nothing more than a monotone hum that barely could be heard over the ringing in his ears. He swallowed hard, tasting the metallic bitterness of blood. He blinked, trying to get a grasp on his body's functions.

"Adam!" she cried. The yell came from Diana Park, who jumped up alongside her husband, Johnny.

"Touchdown! Fowler's offensive line just cleared him a straight line to the end zone. It appears we have a man down on the field!" the announcer shouted.
"Number twenty-two, Adam Park of Angel Grove, is down." With that, the Angel Grove Tiger's trainer rushed onto the field with Coach Hardy. The trainer bent down to Adam and saw him struggling to his feet.

"Hey kid, you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah . . . I just got the breath knocked out of me." Adam said, spitting out the blood in his mouth. Coach Hardy patted him on the shoulder as they returned to the sidelines. Jason stood, holding his helmet at his side.

"You okay, bro?" he asked, kneeling beside Adam, who sat on the bench, guzzling down a sports drink.

"I'm better than okay, I'm great." Adam smirked. When Jason saw Adam's half grin, he smiled back and returned his focus to the game.



An hour and a half later, the lights of the football field illuminated the empty stands as the players walked around the parking lot. The Eagles loaded up onto the yellow school buses as a few of the players talked with the Angel Grove Tigers. Adam walked away from the bustling parking lot to the field house.

"Yo Adam, hold up!" Jason hollered, running up to him. Adam turned around and slapped hands with Jason.

"You comin' to Yesterdays with us, right?" Jason asked.

"Yeah, I guess man. Our first night off JV and we get our asses handed to us."

"Don't sweat it, man. Its just getting started for us. Next year, we'll be off JV for good. " Jason replied.



Saturday morning . . .

The beams of early morning sunlight peeked out from behind clouds of dark grey and reflected off the silvery rims of Jason Scott's red pickup truck. He sat atop a black bucket, strenuously polishing the twenty inches of shiny chrome. He made circular motions with the light blue polish and buffed them to a brilliance. After returning the polishing liquid, buffing pad and bucket to his parent's garage, he stiffly walked around to the driver's side door of his truck, still feeling the effects of last night's football game. Once within, he pulled the door shut and cranked the truck. Distorted electric guitar notes played from his speakers as he shifted the gears into drive. Pressing the accelerator, he turned out of the driveway and headed toward the four-lane highway that would take him into town.

Minutes later, his destination came into view, a custom auto shop just on the outskirts of Angel Grove. The parking lot was lined with customized trucks, SUVs and import cars. Jason noticed the left side shop door was open and could hear a faint hip-hop beat from within. As soon as he was inside the shop, the smell of cigarette smoke and engine exhaust met him. A black extended cab pickup truck sat in the middle of the shop, generating the music. Jason spotted the shop's owner, Carlos Vallerte.

"Que pasa, mi compadre!" the lanky Hispanic man grinned behind a small cloud of cigarette smoke.

"De' nada essa, who's truck is this?" Jason asked, walking past the truck.

"It belongs to a buddy of mine, Justin Garza." Carlos replied. Before Jason could finish asking about the truck, they heard a voice from the entrance to the shop door.

"Excuse me. Do you sell shifter kits?" the man asked. He was an older man, wearing blue jeans and a green and gold racing jacket that read 'Rush Racing Sports' in white stylized letters on the front.

"Yes sir. Let's step inside and let me get the specs you need." Carlos said, leading the man and Jason into a small office near the front of the shop. Carlos sat down into a rolling chair and turned on his computer while studying the man.

"You new around here?" he asked.

"Yeah, I just moved here with my nephew about two weeks ago." he replied, before giving Carlos the exact specifications of the shifter he needed. Carlos typed onto his computer and turned back to the man.

"Your nephew, he a racer too?" Carlos asked in less than perfect English.

"No, no, he's more into martial arts. He's all excited about a tournament being hosted down at the civic center."

"Your nephew is competing at the tournament?" Jason asked.

"Yes, he was heavily involved back in Fresno, a second degree black belt. You might have met him, you're probably the same age."

"I haven't noticed anyone new around . . . what's his name?"

"Tommy Oliver." the man replied. With that, Carlos printed out a sheet of yellow paper and handed it to the man.

"I didn't catch your name." Carlos said. The man extended his hand out and shook hands with him.

"John Rush, Rush Racing Sports."

"Okay, Mr. Rush, I can get it in Monday morning . . . I don't keep parts of these such in stock, I mostly cater to the kids around here. If you want to, you could check one of the bigger stores in town" Carlos explained.

"That's okay. I'd rather spend my money here. I used to be a small business owner as well, I know how business can be." the man replied.

"Muchos gracias. I'll get on the phone with the parts catalog now." Carlos added.



The Destine Technologies tower sat at the north side of Angel Grove, gazing down upon the gothic angles of the First Episcopal Church. Hayley Morgan rode the elevator to the forty-seventh floor, where the grants committee had gathered to hear her presentation on nanotechnology. With a loud 'ding' the elevator doors slid open and an elderly man in a black suit greeted her.

"Ms. Morgan, I presume."

"Dr. Richter, good afternoon. I'm here . . ." Hayley began.

"To meet with the board of directors, I know. I've been studying your work, young lady, and I must say that I am amazed at the work between yourself and Dr. Weston. How is Phillip?" the man asked of his old understudy.

"He constantly talks about you, sir. The funding from your company has helped us achieve what would have been impossible on our own. Even the university lacks the funds to support a cause as great as ours."

"You are on the cutting edge of modern medical science, Ms. Morgan," Dr. Richter said, glancing down at his watch. "I won't keep you a moment more. I believe you are expected." With that, the doctor led Hayley to the board room where the committee members had gathered.

"May I present to you today, Ms. Hayley Morgan of UCLA. I trust you will find her presentation insightful." Dr. Righter stated.



Another place . . .

The clear blackness of deep space was suddenly pierced by the white underbelly of the large drilling frigate. Massive spikes of antenna clusters broke its otherwise sleek shape as it tore across the void of the space lanes. Thousands of blinking lights signaled its gargantuan form to other galactic vessels, although the abandoned Eltarian system was devoid of any such traffic. Its pilots, drillers from the planet KO-19, sat in dirty control chairs that suited their gangly forms. From the bridge, a computerized series of beeps signaled the arrival of their destination.

"I don't know, Kaben. Heard too many rumors about this little dead planet of yours. Smugglers call it the Hand of Chaos. There's something down there . . . I can feel it already." the one they called Brytem noted. Brytem was the only human in the crew of mostly Utauin humanoids. At a glance, the Utauins would seem human, were it not for their long, slender limbs and light blue skin.

"That's your imagination at work. Anyone would be jittery after drinking as many Moon Clusters as you have. Not to mention those Mengarun cigars." Kaben, the crew's head drillhand replied.

"It would take a whole cruiser of Moon Juice to get my senses off track. If I recall correctly, my nose has saved your wormy skins enough times for a Whill to lose track of." Brytem retaliated.

"Breaching atmosphere. Landing procedures initiated. Cabanin Drilling Facility in range. No return to landing signal. Repeating transmission . . . no return to landing signal." a soft robotic voice spoke within the bridge.

"Cancel the transmission. Something must be blocking their receivers. Gear up team, we'll be landing in sixty michrons." Kaben said into his comm unit. The bridge team reached behind their control chairs and pulled gear boxes onto their backs, sliding their arms into the shoulder straps.

Dust and rock was kicked up as the large vessel spewed repulsor energy down toward the planet's surface as it bulls-eyed the landing markers. Within a matter of seconds, it sat perched on top of the permacrete platform, its engines dying with a low whirring sound. A hatch opened up under its hull, the crew members slowly walking down the black ramp.

"The generators are still running. Where is everyone?" the scientist of the crew, Cashgira, asked.

"The Ghost World of Eltar. Now, I can retire." Brytem joked. He looked into the distance at a desert of black sand and sparse rocks. An eerie purplish glow in the sky signaled the arrival of daylight. Kaben knelt down and ran his hand over a two-meter long blast mark in the permacrete. He glanced up at the others.

"Carbon scoring. Otem, unpack the Electro-Lances." Kaben ordered the young Utauin.

"Could it have been pirates?" Amothan, the crew's pilot asked.

"Not likely. Most of them would never come near this planet. And who can blame them?" Brytem asked, although his question was really more of a statement. With that, Otem returned from the ship with the eight Electro-Lances.

"What's the deal with this rock anyway?" Otem inquired.

"This 'grave-world' is the product of the Dairakun Wars. Bunch of hopped-up freaks on some sort of religious crusade wiped out the planet's entire population with a parallel series energy cannon, some sort of prototype weapon of worldly destruction. The only Eltarians that were left were the ones offworld. Now, the ghosts of these damned souls roam the planet, seeking retribution against any living thing that sets foot on their world." Brytem explained.

"Or so we're told." Kaben added. Brytem defiantly stepped into Kaben's way and eyed the Utauin driller face to face.

"You ever seen a spect' up close?" Brytem asked.

"Well, no, but I don't . . ." Kaben started.

"Not again guys. I'm not getting paid enough to listen to this a second longer." Otem said. With that, the team descended the stairs, noticing a flickering light shining off the floor.

"At least they left the light on for us." Brytem noticed. The team entered the half-lit lobby. Brytem stopped in his tracks, the hair on his neck standing on end.

"Something's not right." He said, sniffing the air.

"I'll check the central computer's driller's log." Cashgira said. With that, he removed a flat panel from a systems dock in the wall and began issuing command codes. As he conducted his search, the others shone their shoulder-mounted light beams into the dark depths of corroded metal scaffolding.

"I found it. Initiating holoviewer." Cashgira stated. A beam of light shot down from an unknown source above the team and formed the image of an older Utauin male, sporting a white braided beard. His voice was deep and heavy and he was seemingly short of breath.

"Driller's log supplemental. Drilling has been stopped for the time being. We've unearthed some sort of ancient ceremonial crypt. Specialists are estimated to arrive at 21:00 michrons. Auxiliary crew set to rendevous with transport vessel Valkyrie in the morning, 06:00 sharp." Just as quickly as the three-dimensional image had appeared, it faded away.

"Everything else is corrupted. The facility is blasted with solar flares on a regular basis and it's detrimental that the radiation deflection systems are initiated at that time. Apparently, since no one was here, the data was lost to the radiation." Cashgira explained.

"Can you bring up the landing platform surveillance video for the ETA of the specialist crew?" Brytem asked.

"Give me a minute." the scientist replied. With that, he entered more commands into the keypad that brought up a hologram of a small transport ship landing on the platform. Without warning, six black starfighters swung into view, raining down laser bolts upon the ship. A blue orb, a photon torpedo to be more exact, struck the ship, disintegrating it.

"Lock in on one of those fighters." Kaben ordered. With that, a round marker came up on the image and slid over to the fighter closest in frame.

"Increase values." Kaben added. The ship soon became the lone image in the holoviewer.

"Any clue who it might be?" Kaben asked, turning to Brytem.

"I've flown most star lanes in most galaxies. But I've never seen anything like this before."

"Is there anything else to this recording?" Kaben added.

"No sir, the video feed was destroyed by the energy output of the photon blast."

"Alright. Arm your lances. Brytem, take Otem, Cilox, and Amothan and check the east perimeter. We'll check the west side. Keep your comms up and check in if you find anything." Kaben commanded.

"No, I figured we'd just keep it to ourselves." Brytem added. The steel platforms creaked with each step as Kaben lead his crew into the depths of the facility. Steam shot up from vents and a constant drip-drip-drip of water could be heard in the distance. The air was warm and muggy, hanging to their exposed skin. At the end of the darkened corridor, the team reached a turbolift shaft.

"Cashgira, bring the main systems online." Kaben ordered.

"Yes sir. Central systems will be online momentarily."

"Computer, bring all lifts online." Kaben instructed.

"Not possible. All servo systems are offline." the soft computerized voice explained.

"Computer, why are servo systems offline?"

"Connection to servo lines has been severed. Impossible to bring systems online."

"Is there an access staircase near?"

"Affirmative. Staircase exists in north hall." the computer answered.

"Alright, everyone proceed to northern hallway. I'll bring up the rear." Kaben commanded, tapping his comm unit. "Kaben to Brytem."

"Go ahead." the response came.

"All the lifts are dead. Can you confirm the same?" Kaben asked.

"Affirmative. We investigated the servo stations. Someone cut the control lines."

"Copy that. We'll check back in shortly." Kaben replied. Brytem lead his team past the eastern maintenance tunnels.

"So you've seen a ghost face to face?" Otem asked, his Electro-Lance crackling as he nervously fidgeted with the control handle.

"Face to face ain't the bad part, kid. I had one jump in on me." Brytem replied.

"Jump in?" Cilox, the younger Utauin, asked. Brytem turned around face the alien humanoids.

"Jump into my mind, into my body. But ghosts don't fly starfighters and that's what's we're looking for. We got bigger fish to fry than spects, believe me." Suddenly, the comms crackled to life with static that was interrupted by a loud scream for help.

"Amothan, get a lock on their coordinates!" Brytem hollered as the team rushed toward the access stairs.

"They're on the transmission platform!" Amothan shouted after checking his indicator.

"Set lances to maximum voltage." the command came from Brytem. The team thumbed the dials to high power as they ran down the stairs.



Within the depths below, Kaben struck out with his lance at a robotic soldier, covered in sleek, black body armor from head to toe. Two comm antenna shot up from the sides of its helmet, the wide reflective visor covering the infared sensor array. Its flared breastplate boar an Omega symbol, with four stripes flowing from it. Within the capable hands of the automaton of death sat a silver plasma rifle with blue panels. Its cold robotic eyes shown no remorse as it dispensed of the Utauin driller. Two humans dressed in pressed black military uniforms appeared from the surrounding shadows.

"Commander Tiena, the MAWs (Mobile Armament of War) have secured the drillers' vessel." the younger Sargent noted. The Commander, with his silver hair and blue eyes, regarded Kaben's dead body with no emotion.

"We are proceeding on schedule. This interruption is only a mild delay. Soon, Lord Zedd will take claim to his throne and we will spread the blood of the entire universe." Tiena replied.

"Attention: four enemy marks approaching." the MAW Soldier stated.

"Destroy them." the Commander added before returning to the access tunnel. The two men climbed down the dark hatchway, a blue light illuminating the bottom of the shaft. Hundreds of MAWs were excavating the massive burial chamber, some piloting dull-yellow 'rockers that were bipedal and featured assorted digging devices.



Jeremy and Jeanna Hart's extravagant home sat at the end of a long driveway in a suburb of Angel Grove nicknamed 'Snob Hill'. To some, the name would be an insult, but to the homeowners, it was a mark of separation from the common folk of Angel Grove county. The said driveway was lined with cars and trucks of varying makes and models. From a distance, the sound of loud dance music could be heard. Jason parked his truck alongside the driveway, behind Zack's black F-150.

Inside the house, teenagers walked about with plastic cups filled with alcohol, while talking and looking at teenagers of the opposite sex with hungry eyes. As Jason walked in the door, he heard Zack's voice from across the room, where he sat at a love seat with three girls around him. He smiled as Kimberly Hart walked up to him.

"Hey stud. The kegs are on the back patio and um . . ." Kimberly started, as she slowly walked around Jason, running her hand across his shoulder. "Should you need a place to crash, my room's the third on the left, upstairs."

"Kim, you wouldn't even go to the Fall Ball with me. Why would I bother?" Jason asked.

"Oh please, like it wasn't obvious that whoever went with Ricky Stevens would be guaranteed to be crowned Queen of the Ball. Ugh . . . whatever. Just don't puke on the carpet, loser." Kimberly added before strutting off.

"What was that all about?" Adam said, walking up to Jason.

"Oh, hey bro. Ah, nothing. I guess it's hard for her to believe that some of us still have morals." Jason replied. Adam scoffed then smiled.

"Yeah right . . . come on man, you wouldn't want one round with that bedroom gymnast?"

"No way man, she's totally heinous. Besides, she likes all that pop music garbage and I'm a metal head. Would never work out."

"Okay bro." Adam added as the two made their way to the back patio. Adam grabbed a plastic cup and proceeded to fill it with beer from the nearest keg. Jason grimaced as a high-pitched female voice began to sing over the speakers.

"Ugh . . . Christina Milian. God, how can anyone stand that noise? Those people don't even write their own music. I thought Robert Chandler played guitar in a metal band in LA." Jason asked, filling his own cup with beer.



Outside, Billy Cranston stepped out of the black Grand Prix that belonged to his best friend since the third grade, Trini Kwan.

"Come on Billy, it'll be fine." Trini insisted. Billy shrugged at her.

"I don't know Trini . . . social events aren't really that appealing to me. I don't drink and I don't really care for music released after the Seventies." Billy responded.

"Billy, you need to loosen up . . . and enjoy yourself. Try to have fun tonight. Think of it this way . . . your bother would have never been chosen to fly the first manned space shuttle to Mars if he hadn't stepped out of his security circle."

"I guess you're right. I'm just too scared about being rejected further by my peers. But I shouldn't let them keep me bound to my simple little existence."

"Don't worry. Even a genius can have a wild side. Just look at Benjamin Franklin." Trini said as they approached the front door to the Hart residence. As soon as Trini rang the bell, the door swung open.

"Hey girl!" Kimberly exclaimed, seeing Trini.

"Oh, the cyberfreak." Kimberly said once she noticed Billy standing back in the shadows. Billy stepped forward with a half grin on his face. "I think there's some chocolate milk in the fridge if you get thirsty. Or maybe some Kool-Aid . . ."

"A screwdriver." Billy interjected.

"Screwdriver?" Trini and Kimberly asked simultaneously.

"Yeah . . . maybe three-thirds orange juice and a quarter alcohol." He responded.

"Sorry Mr. Robert Downey the Third, but the only screwdrivers we have around here are flathead and Phillips head. You'll have to do with light beer if you want a buzz." Kimberly smarted.

"Um . . . that Kool-Aid . . . cherry or grape?" Billy asked. Kimberly shook her head in disgust and walked off, leaving Trini as she let a small chuckle escape her lips.

"Sorry Billy. You might want to leave the drinking to the 3.0 students." She said. The two walked into the enormous house and were met by assorted stares and whispers. Billy surveyed the crowd before hearing a voice to his right.

"Yo Billy!" the distinct voice belonging to Jason Scott carried to the class honor president. Trini grinned and walked off to find Kimberly. Billy swallowed hard, nervous by himself in the sea of people.

"Billy, what's up? I didn't expect to see you here." Jason asked, Adam and Zack following behind.

"That's makes two of us." Zack smirked, hiding his grin.

"Billy's in my karate class. He just started at the beginning of the semester." Jason explained. "So what are you doing here?"

"What do you mean?" Billy asked nervously.

"I don't know, I didn't expect to see Mr. Most Likely To Succeed here tonight." Jason explained. Billy let a half-laugh out.

"Well, my parent's are in Cape Canaveral this weekend to see my brother off. I'd get stir crazy if I just sat around, watching Quantum Leap reruns."

"Your brother . . . he's the astronaut, right?" Adam asked.

"Yeah, he's going up Monday morning. The first human team to ever land on Martian soil." Billy replied.

"How long before he goes to Ur . . ." Zack started before Jason cut him off with shake of his head. Zack's mischievous smile faded quickly.

"It's good to see you Billy." Jason said, walking off toward the den area.

Nick Hibriten stood with his friends and fellow Angel Grove Tigers, David Brooks and Brian Donegan, each holding glasses of whiskey and cola. Billy made his way through the crowd, searching for Trini when a foot from the All-Star quarterback tripped him up. Billy stumbled into a group of five girls standing near the kitchen, spilling their drinks on themselves and Billy.

"Oops. Crash landing, space freak." Nick laughed. Between uncontrolled laughter, the other two took their shots.

"One small trip for dorks, one giant fall for astro geeks." Brian added.

"Yeah, Houston we have a problem." David followed. Suddenly, Jason, Adam and Zack appeared behind the three.

"You were right about one thing . . . you do have a problem." Jason said. Nick turned and stared threateningly into Jason's brown eyes.

"Is that right?" he asked as Trini rushed into the kitchen.

"Billy, are you alright?" She asked, handing Billy his eyeglasses.

"So what's it gonna be?" Nick asked. He noticed Trini assisting to Billy and chuckled.

"Why are you wasting your time, Jason? Mr. Most Likely To Remain A Virgin here seems to have enough protection with little miss queen of the damned." He added, walking up to Trini.

"You can rot in hell, Nick." Trini cut back. With that, Nick, grabbed Trini by her arm which prompted Adam to push Nick back. Nick stood in disbelief at the actions of Adam Park, who was quickly held by Jason and Zack.

"Be cool bro." Zack said quietly. David and Brian gathered behind Nick when Kimberly suddenly appeared.

"Nick, you're drunk. I want you to leave. Now." she said. Nick laughed and reached for a cup of beer at the dining table.

"Now, Nick. Before I get my brother over here." Kimberly added. Trini walked over to Jason, Adam and Zack and stood beside Kimberly.

"Touch me like that again and the police will be involved." Trini firmly said.

"You heard her, guys. Party's over." Nick said to David and Brian as the music resumed. The three exited out the front door as Billy joined the five teenagers.

"Thanks for sticking up for me like that, Jason. You showed true integrity." Billy said.

"Don't sweat it. He's been dancing with Mr. Jack Daniels a little too long." Jason replied.

"I'm sorry Trini. I should have never let them guys in to begin with." Kimberly apologized.

"Are you okay?": Adam asked, softly caressing Trini's arm with his finger.

"Yeah. Thanks Adam." Trini replied.



Deep space . . .

'There it is again. The face of my tormentor. Staring into my eyes, laughing at me. He's been at it for a few hours . . . pushing my patience. Of course in these shackles, I'll never move, never lash out in anger. All I have are my senses . . . and the face in the dark. Again he shows his face . . . split by deep lines of age. And those eyes . . . my god those eyes . . . lit up like red hot coals. The smell of burning flesh lingers in my nostrils. I feel no pain, surely this is not my own flesh I smell. I lick my dry and cracked lips and taste a sulfuric bitterness. Where am I? How did I end up here?

There he goes again. What type of sick satisfaction can he gain from seeing me suffer? Why doesn't he ever just go home? These are my latest questions. My mind turns over and over again, trying to find the place before . . . before all of this. Now I hear the thunder again. I suppose it's the monsoon season once more. Will I be able to find the shelters on the north bank? Out here in the sea . . . I feel the weight of the water, but not its soft wet texture. Why can't I feel? The thunder is increasing in its display of sonic wonder. Now the dark sky is split wide open by the uneven flow of lightning.

The time I have spent here . . . I cannot begin to comprehend. It seems at times as if only a moment . . . however, during the other times, it feels like I've been a prisoner of this darkness for an eternity. I would sleep, but I am afraid that I would not wake up. I've been here before . . . I know the chains feel familiar. But I have never been here this long. Have I become forgotten? In the few dreams I do remember, I was a general of a grand army. That's right. I am a general! How dare they hold me like this! Of course what is a general without his soldiers? I am nothing now . . . nothing but a voice in my mind . . . I would speak out with my tongue, but I am afraid of what I would hear.

That face . . . that hideous face full of anger and madness . . . why won't he let me be? He seems to lack the ability to quench his thirst for my misery. Surely there is enough of it . . . I have felt it for years, it seems. Did I do something to warrant his presence? Did I request him in some dream of mine and merely lost memory of it? I do not know. Now the sparks of lightning are more intense. There is something . . . peculiar in the air . . . and I can make out faint voices in the depths of the shadows. Maybe they are coming . . . coming to set me free. I see the panic in the tormentor's face . . . he can feel his end is coming.

The shackles seem now loose . . . do I dare? Why not? Yes! Yes! I am free! Now, to deal with this monstrosity of a man that has kept me agonizing company for too long. In the shadows, I see his movement . . . after a moment's worth of tracing those moves to my memory, I lash out with all of my hatred . . . I feel a sharp piercing pain in my side . . . I have struck myself! What is this? What has happened? This is not skin . . . this is . . . something else. My god . . . this face, this body . . . it is my own. Ah . . . I see the moon is breaking over the clouds . . .'



"Attention sirs, crypt is ready for human entry." the MAW bearing white stripes instructed. Commander Tiena and his Sargent scaled down the platform access panels

"Excellent. Six thousand years of searching has proven successful." Tiena said.

"Sirs, there is an entranceway prepared for you." one of the MAW soldiers explained. Tiena and his Sargent nodded and ducked down into the small metal passageway that led down into the bowels of the massive chamber.

"Emperor Nereus will see us greatly rewarded." the younger rank said.

"Rewards shall not be our fate, Ragnus. Zedd's rebirth into this universe transcends any prize we could ever imagine." Tiena reminded his Sargent. The two Immortal Vast officers proceeded toward the central chamber where large columns of metal supported the weight of the rubble above.

"The Jirad . . ." Tiena whispered to himself. He ran his hands along its engraved top casing before coming to a blood-red crystal. He traced its edges with his forefinger before the crystal began to glow with crimson light.

"We'll need a 'pulsor sled . . . contact Admiral Tomeran and have him move the Nebulos to the shipping bay." Sargent Ragnus instructed the ranking MAW.

"Compliance." it returned before transmitting the appropriate commands to the Vast legion cruiser on the far side of the planet's moon.

"Once the waters inside reach a certain temperature, the reanimation process will begin. It will be as if being born once more. The Crest Holder will then be weakened until his body fully recovers the hypersleep. Once we jump to KO-10, we are to rendevous Chanmiral Recinas. The Chanmiral will replenish our squadrons with new MAWs for Lord Zedd's rebirth." Tiena instructed. As the 'pulsor sled came into view, Ragnus turned to his Commander.

"The Chanmiral . . . what of Project: PRIMATOR?" he asked, remembering the debriefing the operation received on Regada II.

"Project: PRIMATOR will be finalized once we reach KO-10 and I anticipate Lord Zedd will baptize a new Master Warrior." Tiena answered. Several MAWs lifted the aged tomb onto the sled before following the two officers to the shipping bay.



The other side of the Verolean Galaxy . . .

The blackened world of Carinasia sat in the void of space that was known as the Collavarian system. The 'Crest World' of the Immortal Vast's black legion, it shared the light of its star, Vigon, with none. The Imperial Palace, the Citadel of Vega, reached for the dark skies from the depths of the Renom Valley. The palace was encircled by beautiful terraces and open walkways.

Blakus Nereus, the fifth Emperor of the Immortal Vast and founder of the Imperial homeworld, walked along in the late afternoon, the smell of the ocean flowing through his nostrils. It would be this same time everyday that the storm clouds would roll in off the ocean waters and cleanse the palace and temples of the sulfuric ash that rained down from the dark grey clouds above. His dark green cape billowed in the sea breeze, capped off at the shoulders by metal armor that reached around to his chest. He looked out beyond the valley floor, at the Pyramids of Orion. Light green light split the otherwise onyx coloration of the dark energy conductors. The man clothed in a white Imperial uniform slowly approached him.

"What is it?" Nereus asked, never once hearing the man's footsteps. He closed his eyes and reached out for the thoughts of the man in white, the words on his tongue robbed by the dark lord's mastery of psychic abilities.

"Sih Caien has been unearthed . . . excellent. I will assemble the Sons of Maelstrom. Prepare the Chanticulm for our session." Nereus instructed.

"So it shall be, milord." the Chanmiral of Carinasia replied, returning to the palace. Nereus returned his gaze to the pyramids.

'Our time has come. Soon, we will claim the world of Earth for Jenova and rule from our new lush Crest World. Zedd will surely desire revenge upon those who imprisoned him . . . and once he destroys Zordon of Eltar, no one will be capable of standing in our way. '

TO BE CONTINUED . . .

[BattleRanger]

Go to www.geocities.com/rangerssaga/ for more Fire and Ice

Part Two

The Kennedy Space Center, Florida . . .

Robin and Carolyn Cranston sat at the shiny white dining table with their son, Jake. After a long day of taking in the sights and attractions that the space center had to offer, the family had retired to enjoy dinner, and what would be one of Jake's last meals before heading toward Mars with the rest of the Sovereignty crew.

"Just who would have thought. Jake Cranston . . . the first man to step foot on Mars." Robin said while peeling a shrimp. He dipped the succulent bite into a small bowl of cocktail sauce and popped it into his mouth, smiling.

"I know. It hasn't really set in just yet. I mean, I've been to the international space station, but to get to see something up close that no one has ever looked upon . . . it really makes you feel . . . I guess I can't find any word to describe it." Jake spoke back.

"How about exciting?" Carolyn asked. "After all, you'll be in the history books. A real American hero."

"I'm not one to revel in fame, but I guess it comes with the territory." Jake explained.

"I just wish Billy could be here." Carolyn said.

"Baby brother's probably better off in Angel Grove . . . get him around this many brainiacs, we'd be hard pressed to ever get him away." Jake replied.

"Have you talked to Hayley?" Robin asked.

"I did for a little bit last night. She said Destine Technologies is giving the University a grant to help the nanotechnology research she's doing."

"That's great. I'm sure Billy would be excited to know." Carolyn said.



Angel Grove . . .

Kimberly Hart shuffled her feet along, pink fuzzy slippers covering them. She made her way into the den and noticed several bags of luggage in the front foyer.

"Morning sweetie." the masculine voice came from behind. She turned around to see her dad standing in the kitchen.

"Daddy? What's going on? I thought you were in Palm Springs."

"Well, we were, but things didn't go as well as I had hoped." Jeremy Hart replied.

"Where's mom?" she asked.

"Your mother took a commercial flight back in. She's staying at your grandma's."

"I don't get it . . . what, exactly, is going on?" she demanded. Her dad walked into the den and sat her down, resting beside her.

"I guess as much as its going to hurt, you have the right to know what's going on. Your mother and I aren't married anymore. I guess it won't be official until we go to court, but she wants to move to Paris to pursue her fashion career. We just aren't best friends anymore . . . our careers have made us different people. I just . . ." he began. Kimberly's eyes filled up with tears and she ran off to her room.

"Kimberly!" he cried after her. He heard the familiar sound of the door locking and proceeded to finish unpacking.



The bridge of the Immortal Vast command vessel, Nebulos, was open to the spinning swirls of hyperspace. Commander Tiena stood at the helm, his arms folded behind his back and held together. At moments, he would close his eyes and imagine the victory that he would claim upon reaching the terran Earth and serving under Lord Zedd.

"Commander, we are preparing to fall back into realspace." one of the officers stated. The Commander returned to his captain's chair and secured himself. With a low whine, the sublight engines cut them out of the hyperspace realm, returning the stars to their familiar blinking pinpoints.

"Contact the Chanmiral. We wish to land at once." Tiena ordered.

The surface of KO-10 was rocky and barren, save for small patches of woodlands. Once home to a race of mighty warriors, it now was the base of operations for Chanmiral Recinas, one of the top scientists within the Immortal Vast ranks. His facility spread out over a mile's worth of desert land, its dull grey hues standing out against the deep red sands.

"Incoming transmission . . . do you wish to receive?" the robotic voice asked. Chanmiral Recinas turned around in his chair, towards the systems port set into the far wall.

"Yes." he replied.

"Chanmiral . . . we are preparing to land. We have Lord Zedd on board, but I am afraid he is still in suspended animation. It might be sometime before he awakens." the voice came.

"I will meet you on the landing platform." Recinas replied.

Too large to dock with a facility of its size, the Nebulos crew arrived by means of a shuttle craft, flanked by two black MAW-Fighters. Recinas stood at the edge of the platform, the spewing energy from the 'pulsors billowing his cape around his form. Steam shot from the edges of the boarding ramp as it opened up beneath the hull of the spacecraft.

"Commander Tiena . . . welcome to Delta Station." Recinas greeted.

"We are anxious to see your PRIMATOR units." Tiena replied.

"Yes, yes of course. We have already completed a successful test run on Gamma-Vile and Emperor Nereus has commissioned four of my units to Regada II." Recinas returned. The two officers turned back to the shuttle craft as they watched the 'pulsor sled being lead down the ramp, cradling the Jirad.

"We have followed everything correctly but he has still not yet awakened." Tiena explained.

"No worries. I'll get my best men on it. Zedd will be reborn before nightfall." Recinas pledged.



Jason Scott set up on his bed, the flashing light of the TV screen casting shadows into the room. He closed his eyes, feeling them burn from lack of sleep. He reached for his nightstand and grabbed the glass of water that sat beside his alarm clock that read 10:30. He sighed and swallowed down the water before reaching to turn off his lamp. He clicked the remote control, turning the TV off and pulled the blankets up under his arms. Jason rolled over and exhaled, taking in the comfort of his bed.

'Where am I? The desert . . . I see my friends . . . Adam, Zack . . . Trini and Billy . . . Kimberly is here as well. The earth is in danger . . . the threat of an invasion. Now what? There are black forms all around us . . . closing in. They are dressed in some sort of armor. Ah . . . I feel it . . . a box, a strange device here that was given to us . . . by who? I can't remember. I feel a strange sensation racing throughout my body . . . Tyrannosaurus!'



Angel Grove resumed its normal Monday morning pace as yellow school buses wove through the suburbs, picking up students and delivering them to their scholastic destinations. One particular bus sat stationary at Angel Grove High, parked behind the cafeteria.

"Can you imagine what must be going through your brother's mind?" Trini asked, as she walked the parking lot with Billy.

"He's always acting like nothing bothers him, but I know he must be scared to death." Billy replied. The two walked past the library building and up the steps to the main yard. She saw Kimberly sitting alone at one of the numerous picnic tables scattered.

"Billy, I'll catch up to you in Mrs. Crauns class." she said. Billy nodded and headed for the breakfast line in the lunchroom.

"Hey Kim. Care if I sit down?" Trini asked, walking up to the picnic table.

"Trini . . . yeah, I kinda need someone to talk to." Kimberly replied.

"Okay . . . so what's going on?" Trini asked, sitting opposite of Kimberly.

"Well, my parents are getting a divorce." Trini's eyes widened and she felt her stomach drop. "Mom's staying in San Francisco with my grandma . . . she called me last night, she had some lame-ass excuse. Dad flew in himself yesterday morning and he's just been a mess. Plus I had this really weird dream last night."

"Kim, divorces aren't easy, but the truth is, a lot of times, it works out in the long run."

"Where'd you hear that lie? Valerie Chandler's parents divorced and it wrecked her entire life. She hates her step-dad and her mother just buries her head in the sand on everything."

"I'm sorry. I'm just trying to help you think positive."

"Well, Steve found out and got into with daddy. When he first told me, I locked myself in my room. When I came out, he had already went to bed."

"I wish I knew how to help, Kim. We just need to get you distracted for a little while until things settle down a bit. Anytime you need me, though, I'm here."

"Thanks Trini." Kimberly replied, smiling, which Trini thought must have been awful hard to do.



Jason, Adam, and Zack stood near the side entrance of the gymnasium when they noticed a man walking up the front sidewalk, wearing black jeans and a green plaid pullover. He wore an earring in his left ear and had long black hair pulled into a ponytail.

"Who's that?" Jason asked.

"Oh, that's the new guy. He's in my PE class. Tommy . . . something." Adam replied.

"Tommy Oliver?" Jason returned.

"Actually, I think it is Oliver. You know him?"

"No, I just heard of him." Jason said, as the man walked up to the three.

"Sup." Adam greeted.

"Nothing much. Do you guys know where the Mrs. Crauns' field trip is meeting at this morning?" he asked.

"Yeah, we're supposed to meet in the back parking lot at seven thirty-five." Zack replied.

"You're going to the fossil exhibit too?" Adam asked.

"Yeah, I got an e-mail from her saying that her Biology classes would be going this morning." he replied. He turned his attention back to Jason who quickly extended his hand out, shaking the hand of the student.

"Jason Scott. I think I met your uncle this weekend."

"Tommy Oliver. Yeah, Uncle John. He's trying to fix the shifter in his race car." Zack glanced down at his watch and cleared his throat.

"Well fellas, 'bout time to head to the bus. I got seven thirty now." he replied.

"I got to get something out my locker real quick. Catch ya on the flip-side." Tommy replied before running up the steps to the main hall.



The tenth planet of the Kalderon Omega system . . .

"With these PRIMATOR units, we'll have the grandest army in the known universe." Recinas gloated while proceeding down the hallway, Commander Tiena following by his side.

"So this is a continuation of Primal Storm?" Tiena inquired.

"Yes, when the last campaign claimed the jungle planet of Kurog, we were met by resistence, a clan of primal warriors that fought us to the death. But we were amazed at how quickly they moved and fought, based on their gargantuan forms. I used their biological design to create my own genetically engineered supersoldiers. They are smart enough to be loyal and serve without question, they can think creatively in battle, and as with most MAW solders, they can be rebuilt or easily replaced. We designed a prototype that featured metals of higher density and merged it with another prototype of mine, a fully sentient, positronic brain-core. This unit, which we have simply called Primator, is who we are anticipating Zedd will christen his Master Warrior. In doing so, we will have the highest approval to start manufacturing units to serve the Emperor and the council heads directly."

"And what's the connection to the MAWs?"

"We have went back to basic on the materials used to construct MAW armor and built stronger and better versions of their base armor. All PRIMATOR units will be suited with this new armor, which is capable of resisting energy blasts operating anywhere from one hundred to two-hundred fifty thousand ampherebands. There are very few weapons in known creation that will be a threat to these supersoldiers."

"Most impressive, Chanmiral." The two officers met the end of the walkway which was a double door that split open to reveal a massive lab.

"Let's check on Zedd's progress." Recinas instructed, stepping down the stairway to the base level. They saw Zedd floating in a large chamber, filled with a light green liquid.

"The Mani liquid is waking his muscles up. Without it, it would be sometime after regaining consciousness before he could walk." Recinas explained, walking up to the head scientist. "What's the progress?"

"His brain-waves are stablizing . . . we thought if we increase the voltage in the Mani, he would go into cardiac arrest. Doing so would surely kill him. His body has not recovered from the sleep enough to take it." the man replied. Recinas studied the system screens set into the large white panel.

"Increase them by ten percent. Watch the heart monitors." Recinas instructed.

"Wait . . . I think he's waking up, sir!" the man shouted. Tiena and the other observers quickly turned towards the Mani chamber and saw Zedd's body flailing in the thick liquid.

"Get him out of there!" Recinas shouted.

"Mani chamber powering down. Evacuation of compound beginning." came the voice from the panels. They watched as the liquid drained out of the chamber. Zedd's body slowed its movements and started to curl up into a fetal position.

"Open the doors." Recinas instructed. The glass chamber swung open, Zedd covered in the gelatinous chemical. His face was a maze of muscle structure, bone, and cartilage that peered out from the metal ring that reinforced what was left of his skull, his brain slightly pulsing.

"Where am I?" Zedd asked in a deep, raspy voice.

"Lord Zedd. I am Chanmiral Recinas. Welcome to Delta Station." Recinas greeted. Zedd made his way up to his knees and ran his hands over his exposed head and face.

"My mask!" he shouted, his body beginning to glow a crimson hue.

"Someone get his armor!" Recinas shouted back at the scientists.

"It will be a moment, milord. We have . . ." Recinas began before being cut off by the dark lord.

"What age is it?"

"Um, it is the thirtieth age, milord, the calender of Meladon." Tiena replied.

"Wha . . . the thirtieth age . . . " Zedd echoed. Suddenly one of the scientists appeared, carrying a large black case.

"I am free . . . free of my prison that has held me for more than ten ages." Zedd said.

"Milord, we have your armor . . . do you wish for private quarters?" Recinas asked.

"Make it so . . . Chanmiral. Once I return from private, I wish to speak to Blakus Nereus at once." Zedd commanded.

"Yes milord. The Emperor is anticipating hearing from you." Recinas replied.

"The Emperor . . . yes. In due time, we will meet again." Zedd said more silently, standing up. Recinas draped a black cape over his shoulders, Zedd grabbing it away and pulling it tightly around him.

'Emperor Nereus. Inconceivable. Of course, left in my absence, the Immortal Vast would have no choice but to see award Nereus lordship. No matter. Soon, my vengeance shall be acted out upon those who imprisoned me . . . and those who turned their backs and retreated to the corners of the universe. I am LORD ZEDD! I AM EMPEROR OF ALL THAT I SEE!!'

TO BE CONTINUED

[BattleRanger]

God, is there anyone that is gonna reply to my fanfic? Well, anyways, this is the last post of Fire and Ice to Rangerboard. For chapter three, you'll have to visit my site, www.geocities.com/rangerssaga/ and wait for it to be posted. In the meantime, enjoy parts 1 and 2 and let me know what you think!

[Cuiran]

I found the premise very interesting -- it's a very good reimagining of several characters (I couldn't help chuckling at Zack wearing a Raiders jersey) and shows an extensive backstory. If you don't plan to post at Rangerboard any more, too bad -- I'll just have to set up a bookmark. Looking forward to it. =)

[BattleRanger]

For everyone that read this ... what would you change?

[Shoichi]

i'll read it in a while...brb

[jetfire85]

I found it very interesting. Your writing style is very good; I could actually understand what you were saying. The premise is also quite original.

[Shoichi]

very nice interpretation of MMPR. :023:

[BattleRanger]

I wish things were looking up, but at the moment, part 3 has been put on hold ... I am getting married at the end of the month, so I have lost all my free time for now. And yes, I have decided to continue posting here on Rangerboard so that all Ranger fans will have the opportunity to read Fire and Ice.
www.geocities.com/rangerssaga/

[BattleRanger]

If anyone has any comments, I would greatly appreciate it ... Part 3 is coming along a little better than thought. Suggestions? I welcome them too. I'm gonna post on the main board for people to give their suggestions on what they would change to the original MMPR. So here we go ... anyone? I welcome all replies.

[Cuiran]

I can't actually wrap my head around all of the ideas enough to really make anything solid. I love where the characters are going at the moment -- just different enough to be different without losing what made them solid characters. (Zack wearing the jersey made me crack up for some strange reason.)

Basically, I haven't got any good ideas, so I'll sit around for the ride. And congratulations on your impending wedding and many happy returns =)

[BattleRanger]

So what it bad to have Zack in a jersey? Just curious as to why it made you laugh. I had Zack originally on the football team ... but after re-evaluating my characters, I decided that Zack would be more musicial and more into band in stuff, so of course, giving his hip-hop background, I put him in the drumline. And no, I've never seen the movie, but I remember the drumline from my High School was badass.

[Cuiran]

Probably just because I can't remember him doing anything like it in the series, really. Or perhaps because I make absolutely no sense. Take your pick. >_> (However, drumlines are cool.)

[BattleRanger]

A Sneak Peek at the Rangers of Fire and Ice

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v719/BattleRanger/newredwhelmet.gif
More to come!

[BattleRanger]

Get ready for part three ... coming very soon ... I promise, this is one fanfic that will not dissapoint.

[TSoldier]

Please include some good action. Your fan fic is really good, but in all honesty I was bored to tears with the whole resurrection of Zedd thing and just, the majority of it. It feels like it's taking forever to show the relevance of this certain group of teens to what's happening in space. My god. No offense, but if you took out everything otherworldly in the story that wasn't really important to Zedd's resurrection your posts would have been half as long.

Everything else was great. The characterization was awesome and your making Zedd out to be all the things we ever wanted of him. Unfortunately, the anticipation of getting Zedd to that state is the only exciting thing about the story thus far. Other than our pre-existing knowledge of those who have held the MMPR powers, Billy, and only very sparingly, is the only character in your story thus far that seems to have anything to do with the Zedd portion of the story, and that's only cuz he's related to an astronaut who himself didn't seem to have anything to do with the Zedd story line except that he had something to do with space.

The story thus far just seemed overtly pedantic. I'm anticipating this much deatil going into actual action and really interesting events that may come eventually. Glad to see the next part will be coming soon. I honestly can't wait. The story has a lot of potential.

[TSoldier]

That picture above is awesme. Hope to see the whole team's suits in that style get posted. Did you do it yourself?

[BattleRanger]

I didn't want to jump to a scene and have Zedd just wake up and attack earth. In all reality, it wouldn't happen that way. I know it moves slow through these parts ... kinda like how I feel watching the droids in SW: A New Hope walk through the desert. But the importance is what is being set up. And I didn't want the Rangers to gain their powers just yet, I'm trying to set them up as teenagers before I make the transition for them to be superheros. And yes, all the team's suits will be in the same style. Tommy's Green Ranger suit, which has yet to be designed, might be different, because he might end up belonging to another Ranger team. I don't know just yet. Tommy, as the Green Ranger, is still several more chapters away. As far as Zedd goes, it just takes a while for him to be awakened, find his new revenge, christen a new Master Warrior, find Serpentara, and then head for earth. All steps that must be completed. I'm glad that you like the fanfic so far ... but this ain't nothing yet.

[BattleRanger]

Go to www.geocities.com/rangerssaga for more Fire and Ice

PART THREE

The edge of Florida’s east coast . . .

The NASA orbiter Sovereignty sat, secured to the massive SRB units that would soon ignite, propelling its washed-white form into the cosmos. Jake Cranston sat at the helm of the ship, finishing the pre-flight checks. He held his comm unit tight to his ear.

“Houston, this is Sovereignty. All systems are a go.” Jake stated. He felt his stomach start to tense up, hearing the various traffic over the comms. He swallowed hard and felt as if time stood still. Suddenly, he was violently shaken in his chair.

“10, 9, 8, 7 . . .” the countdown proceeded. Jake felt the massive engines begin to roar to life, almost simultaneously.

“6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 . . . we have liftoff!” At the call of the One mark, the Solid Rocket Booster units ignited with enough force to utterly destroy the hold of gravity. During the first moments of the orbiter’s ascent, hundreds of thousands of gallons of water spilled across the launch pad, cooling it and suppressing the destructive soundwaves that were generated by the rockets.

“We’ll take it from here.” a male voice sounded over the comms.

“Copy that, Houston.” the female announcer replied. Jake felt the force of the rockets almost push him through the chair where sat strapped in. He swallowed again, feeling the hard lump in his throat. He clenched his fist inside his space suit, closing his eyes and seeing the face of Hayley Morgan staring back at him.

Beep-beep-beep! Beep-beep-beep! Billy glanced down at his watch and thumbed the alarm off. Trini stood close beside him, taking in the sights of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles.

“Jake oughta be well on his way, now.” Billy said, turning to Trini. She saw the concern in his eyes . . . and it was well warranted. Only one out of the last two orbiters ever made it out of the earth’s atmosphere.

“I’m sure it went fine. Those shuttles are a lot safer these days.” Trini reassured. The crowd of students continued to swarm around the lobby to the massive building.

“This is so cool. I can’t wait to get to see the dinosaur bones.” Jason said, sitting down beside Adam and Zack.

“No doubt, no doubt. I wonder if they have a triceratops.” Adam pondered aloud, with a smirk. Zack nodded towards the front of the lobby, where Mrs. Craun stood, her hands on her hips.

“Speaking of fossils.” He said, as the teacher began to clap her hands together.

“Students . . . students, your attention please.” She instructed. A slow hush fell over the teenagers as she cleared her throat. A tall black man walked up behind her, in a dark blue jacket and black slacks.

“This morning, we will be directed by Mr. Ethan James. I trust you will show him the same respect and attention as you would me.” Mrs. Craun said. Dr. James held a hand towards the front doors to the main hallway.

“We are honored to have Angel Grove High School this morning. If you will follow me through here, we shall begin our tour of the facility and our many exhibits.” The man instructed. The students were lead down a darkened hallway that opened up into an expansive room, flanked by glass displays.

“Our featured fossil exhibits are a Cambodian Jurassic display, featuring the world’s most complete Tyrannosaurus skeleton ever discovered and an Ice Age feature from the frozen lands of Siberia, where a Smilodon, or Saber-toothed Tiger as it is more widely known and full size Mastodon have been frozen in perfect condition. I would like to take this moment to thank the man responsible for these awesome exhibits, Anton Mercer, son of prominent paleontologist Richard Mercer.” Dr. James explained.

“What up?” Jason asked, Tommy Oliver striding up beside him.

“Can’t call it. Ah man, this is so fascinating.” Tommy whispered.

“To your right, you’ll see the vertebrae and skull of the majestic Brachiosaurus. Its name means “Arm Lizard.” These dinosaurs each possessed tremendously strong blood vessels and a heart that would pump its blood with a pressure four times as great as our own. This was necessary to pump the blood the awesome length of their necks to their brains.” Tommy’s eyes lit up at the site of the bones, recalling his favorite dinosaur.

“This particular skeletal structure, from Tanzania, Africa, was found in close proximity to a very puzzling fossil set that may in fact be the skeletal remains of the legendary creatures that would come to be known as dragons. The fossils of this upright animal are currently being examined in Germany by a group of paleontologists from around the world.”

“Incredible.” Billy whispered.

“Don’t get excited, robo-boy. I doubt these dragons had anything to do with dungeons.” Kimberly smarted quietly, walking past Billy. Billy’s eyes narrowed at the comment.

“One of the more graceful creatures of the late Jurassic, early Cretaceous era was the Pterodactyl, shown here with its massive wingspan which could reach up to thirty-three feet across in some instances. Hailing from the pterosaur family, these creatures, by definition weren’t even Dinosaurs, instead belonging to the Diapsid class.” Kimberly eyed the flying reptile as she slowly approached Tommy.

“You know, this one was my favorite growing up. Ever since I saw The Land Before Time, I loved them. I always wondered what it would be like to fly free like they did.” Kimberly said, trying to initiate conversation with the handsome newcomer.

“Probably terrifying. Soaring over lava fields, thunderclouds, having to avoid being eaten ... I’d just as soon stay on the ground, myself.” Tommy replied. He glanced towards Kimberly and met her eyes. His stomach began to spin in ever direction possible and he felt his face tingle as his cheeks flushed. Kim returned his half-smile by flirtatiously batting her eyes. However, Kimberly couldn’t continue her flirting game when she was overcome by his good looks. She slowly sank further into the dark saucers that were Tommy’s brown eyes and felt herself melt. She grabbed a nearby railing for support. Trini walked past Kimberly, forcing a cough that helped her friend to recover from the awkward moment.

“You’ll see here, the Dimetrodon, which is closer related to us mammals than dinosaurs and roamed the earth during the Permian period.” Dr. James continued, directing the students.

“Lead the way, fly-boy.” Kimberly insisted to Tommy with a flirtatious grin that reminded Tommy of his grim depiction of being a Pterodactyl. Tommy smiled back and caught up to the other teens, Kimberly in tow.

“Triceratops. Evolution gifted this mighty quadruped with the defensive powers of a neck-protecting ridge of bone and three protruding horns that would intimidate any predator. Triceratops was one of the more intelligent Dinosaurs of its day, despite lacking swiftness. She’s my personal favorite, a mighty four-legged knight of the Jurassic period.” Dr. Ethan James stated with a smile. Adam’s eyes lit up as he took in the white-washed form of the fossilized skeleton.

“Capping off this particular display is the king of all Dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus Rex.” Jason made his way through the crowd to catch a better view of the tyrant lizard king.

“I gotta see this.” Jason said, squeezing in-between several more students. Seconds later he stood at the base of the skeleton.

“The Tyrannosaurus. One of the last non-avian dinosaurs to walk our world before the great extinction, it stood approximately fifteen feet high and was about forty feet in length. Since these beasts were so huge, you might find be asking yourself how they were able to hunt prey with such effectiveness to be one of the most terrible creatures to walk the earth. Through biomechanic studies, scientists believe that the Rex could move fairly swift, maybe ten to twenty miles an hour, but not as fast as other Tyrannosaurs, such as Albertosaurus. Tyrannosaurus Rex would also shed its razor-edged, serrated teeth periodically, like most archosaurs. The teeth of the Rex are very interesting . . . rather than being the flat, knifelike blades as in most other carnivorous dinosaurs, they are more like giant spikes. The bite marks of these teeth are quite recognizable on some bones. Even some Tyrannosaur fossils have been discovered, bearing these marks.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this concludes this particular exhibit. If you follow me, we will take in the awesome sight of the Saber-toothed Tiger and Mastodon in our Ice Age exhibit.” Dr. James instructed.

Another time, another place . . .

“Milord, it was last seen of the world of Tirol. The Almsteen Band . . . the deep-space alloys allow it to conduct alien energy fields unaccessible to anything alive other than its bearer. These magnificent energies deliver the universe to one worthy enough to possess its powers.” General Zedd spoke. The image of his master, Maelstrom, flickered in the dim light of the ship’s control bay.

“It shall be yours, General, if you wish to seek it out. Once you capture Serpentara and possess the Almsteen Band, our federated armies will be the strongest ever to walk worlds. Have might in Jenova, my friend.” Maelstrom returned.

“Returned, my master.” Zedd replied. With that, the image faded. Zedd turned back to the few officers staring out at the blue green orb that hung in the stars.

“Ready our troops, commander. We shall claim Serpentara and a few Eltarian lives with it. Move the forces out on my command.” Zedd ordered.

‘Serpentara . . . the greatest weapon ever constructed. But it soon shall serve our armies and bring destruction to those who fabricated its awesome form. With the combined power of it and my DragonZord, I will be INVINCIBLE!’

Zedd sat in the darkness of his circular meditation chamber, deep within his own consciousness. Through his unnatural link to the Morphing Grid, he could revisit times long forgotten and events not yet transpired. Established by the great Morphing Master Zordon, the Morphing Grid is a computer system that exists within a dimensional plane only accessible by computer systems within a specific matrix. This system is an electronic section of the energy field that gives the Zyraku their powers and can store machines and weaponry that can be called upon in battle. However, Zedd’s illicit connection was the result of his strong Dairaku energies and a microscopic matrix system housed within the confines of his facemask.

His mind hung on the sight of the titanic machine that was Serpentara, the great Zord slayer. Many a world had been claimed for the Immortal Vast under its shadow . . . yet it had been lost after Zedd’s untimely fall to the hands of Zordon. But he knew it would only be a matter of time before he would once again lead armies with its might. A slight flicker of red energy played over Zedd’s face mask . . . the dark Lord was fully awake. His mask sat in place, hiding his damaged face.

The interior curve of the mask was a twisting maze of wires and circuitry, enabling Zedd to have superior optical advantages, including telescopic vision. The outer shell was a polished silver hue. Set at the top of his mask was his Grand Horn, a long ridge of metal that rose up a dozen capins (or inches) and ended in a slanted Z.

“I’ve found it.” The words were quietly spoken, yet holding tremendous authority. Zedd stood up from his the circular chamber that was his mediation chair. His crimson cape hung off his shoulders and swept across the metal floor. Upon nearing the entranceway, the doors split open, allowing Zedd through to the main corridor. One of the deck officers quickly rushed to meet him.

“Milord, it is an honor to be graced by your presence. Do you wish for me to . . .” the man began.

“I wish to contact the Emperor. In private, lieutenant.” Zedd ordered.

“As you wish, milord. I shall clear the conference quarters for you.” The lieutenant replied, rushing down the hallway to an opened door. Seconds later, a half dozen officers scurried out from within the quarters. Zedd walked past the lieutenant who was nervously sweating and secured the door mechanisms behind him.

“Computer, transmission code: draco henshin, mark delta grand. Authorization: Lord Sih Caien Zedd. Initiate.” Zedd instructed.

“One moment please.” the computerized voice returned. The room darkened and a light blue beam shot down from the ceiling.

“Connection authenticated and online.” the voice added. With that, the beam of light split into the form of Emperor Nereus.

“After a millennia, my good friend . . . I am once again taking in the sight of the greatest general ever to command an army. Lord Zedd, I trust Jenova’s might is with you.” The Emperor greeted. Zedd stood silent for a moment, calculating the words he would speak. It would prove disastrous to reveal his disdain for the Emperor at the moment.

“Blakus . . . I am afraid I must dispense with any pleasantries. While time seems stalled for me after my long sleep, I am afraid it is coming to an end for Zordon of Eltar.” Zedd replied, intentionally excluding Nereus’s title.

“I admire your will, Lord Zedd. I had anticipated the swiftness in which you would exact your revenge against Prince Zordon. With Zordon out of the way, we shall claim Earth as our new Crest World. Therefore, I am prepared to fully stock your campaign against the Morphing Master with whatever you so require. Our scouts report that the Sol system is relatively unguarded against any attack.”

“If Zordon is alive, I am indeed positive he would have trained a new team of Rangers or completed preparations to draft one in an emergency. The old man is not as foolish and blind as you would like to believe.” Zedd explained. Nereus grimaced with a bit of anger and frustration that came across as a forced smile.

“Then you shall strike swift and hard. The terrans would be utterly defenseless and you could easily claim their forces. With no living being to possess his precious Zyraku energies, Zordon would be completely vulnerable. Even if he manages to draft a new team into play, they would be no match against my battle-hardened armies that have crushed innumerous Ranger forces throughout the universe.”

“The power of the Eltarian gods is strong with Zordon. Nonetheless, we have might in Jenova. I will claim the world of Earth and leave no one human standing.”

“It is settled then. I have recently taken delivery of the newest and most powerful ship in our fleet, christened the DeathForce. I will send her to relieve the Nebulos and aboard her, you may make your way toward Earth.”

“I am impressed, Blakus. You have managed to hold Maelstrom’s legacy in a firm grasp. One day, you may overwhelm even our illustrious founder. Have might in Jenova, Emperor.”

“Returned . . . Lord Zedd.” With that, Nereus’s image vanished, leaving Zedd standing in the empty quarters. A double beep came from the door.

“What is it?” Zedd asked.

“Milord, it is Commander Tiena.” a voice answered.

“Enter, Commander.” Zedd replied. The lights drew back up as Tiena walked in.

“Milord, a Primator unit is awaiting your presence in the Chanmiral’s quarters.”

“Excellent.” Zedd spoke, turning towards the door. Commander Tiena led the dark lord down a secondary corridor to the expansive circular quarters belonging to Chanmiral Recinas.

“Lord Zedd, we are graced by your presence. It is a . . .” Recinas began.

“You may skip your bloated greetings, Chanmiral. What is it that you wish to show me?” Zedd interrupted.

“Milord, we have constructed the ultimate killing machine, designed to serve directly to the Emperor and the Lords of the Empire. A genetically engineered supersoldier that obeys commands without hesitation and are able to think creatively. Sargent Wanera, bring him in.” Recinas instructed. The short officer entered a side room as a low growl was heard.

“Lord Zedd, may I present . . . the Primator.” Recinas spoke. The low growl belonged to the hulking figure that was lead out of the side quarters by the Sargent. Standing nearly eight feet tall, it ducked down into the room, perched atop huge, thick legs that were set in a wide stance to support its weight. Its massive arms hung from even larger shoulders. It was dressed in a jet black kinetic body suit that clung to its skin. MAW-Grade armor sat in specific places, lining its shoulders and its chest. A long piece of armor protected its abdomen and curved back around to the lower back. Its thighs bore the same armor and stretched down to the knees. It face was nearly human, long braided hair hanging down from the left side. Blood red eyes shown with an unnatural light, the sole sign of its positronic brain-core.

“Ah . . . “ Zedd whispered, walking up to the Primator. It turned his head sideways, puzzled at the image of the dark lord.

“I am Lord Zedd, sworn enemy of the righteous and noble.” Zedd instructed.

“Lord . . . Zedd. What is your wish, milord?” Primator asked, kneeling down before him.

“Excellent . . . Chanmiral, you have done well. I wish to begin the christening. I require a text of the Ancient Tongues.” Zedd said. Recinas retrieved a copy of the Dairaku writings from his personal room. Zedd took the book from him and turned back to the other officers.

“Leave us.” he commanded. With that, the room empties, leaving Zedd alone with the Primator. He thumbed through the old pages of the book, to the Tongues of Orion, the Book Of War.

“It is written in the Scrolls of Vega, words of an timeless past. In the days of darkness, there shall be a master. Powerful and wise, sound in form and obscure in heart. In Jenova, there is trust, there is power. By the Tongues of Orion, I gift you with this power. Until the last battle is won, your enemies are beneath your feet. My own strength flows through you. This is our prayer, Primator: ‘From the moons of Cryon to the fires of Keonta . . . our might is not of our own, but that of Jenova. She leads us beyond our enemies and with her one day, we shall stand victorious. I bestow the enlightenment of evil upon you, as it was passed on to me. In Dairaku, we shall not stray . . . we shall not cease. Where there is a master lord, you shall be master warrior. Beside the star of Carin, I ask this of you, dark Jenova . . . give us reign over our enemies and rule over all land.’ Rise, my warrior.” Zedd commanded. The supersoldier rose to his feet and took a step towards his lord. Zedd closed his eyes and traced the outline of Primator’s face with his clawed hands.

“I, Lord Sih Caien Zedd, christen you my Master Warrior. You will serve me with loyalty and power. Have might in Jenova, my Master Warrior.” Zedd continued.

“I am honored, milord. How may I serve you?” Primator asked.

“For the time being, my friend, have patience. Your hatred for the Eltarian known as Zordon will grow in time and it will be a valuable ally. Your hatred will make you even stronger than you are now. Come, Primator. There is much to attend to.” Zedd instructed.

Angel Grove, California . . .

Kimberly Hart closed her gym locker and grabbed her backpack. She walked out of the gym and down the concrete pathway to the parking lot. Her black Pontiac sat at the end of the parking lot, next to the road. She noticed a green Camaro parked next to it . As she got closer, she noticed someone sitting in the green car.

“Can I help you?” she asked, walking up to the car. When the man turned around, she realized it was Tommy Oliver.

“Sup.” Tommy said.

“Hey . . . fly-boy.” Kimberly replied with a heavy sigh.

“So what ya doin’ this weekend?” Tommy asked. Kimberly smiled and brushed her hair out of her face.

“I’m not sure yet. I’m kinda going through a hard time right now. I’d love to go out, but I might have to help my mom move. My parents . . .” she began. The words seem to freeze on her tongue and she swallowed hard and breathed in. “My parents are getting a divorce and I don’t want to really commit to a date, because I have no idea what could be going on.”

“I’m sorry. Look, I’d tell you to call me if you need someone to talk to, but I’m going to be gone the rest of the week with my Uncle. We still have a few things to move and loose ends to tie up back home. I’ll be back Friday morning . . . can I call you when I get back? We don’t have to go out, maybe we can just try and get your mind off of things. Trust me, things like this can eat you alive if you let them. There’s no one way to deal with them head-on, so a lot of times, it just helps to keep yourself distracted.” Tommy replied.

“Okay . . . here, let me give you my number.” Kimberly said, dropping her backpack and grabbing her memo book from the front pocket. She pulled a pen from her pocket and jotted down her phone number.

“Thanks, Tommy.” she said, handing Tommy the piece of paper.

“Its nothing. I’ll holler at you when I get back in. Bye.” He said, turning the key in the ignition.

“Bye.” Kimberly replied. She watched as the dark green car drove off.

The Rising Sun Martial Arts Academy sat at the north end of town, next to the YMCA building and Health Unit. On the outside, the Academy was peaceful and quiet. However, on the inside, Jason Scott’s Ki-haps cut through the silence of the near empty training studio. Adam was dressed in a white do-bok, tied by a red belt, while Jason wore the black uniform tied by a black belt.

“It looks like you’ve got the kyukpa down.” Adam said, walking through the debris of the shattered bricks.

“I just got to keep concentrated. Thanks for showing up, Adam. I really need work in free sparring.” Jason replied.

“Hey, its no problem. I’m always looking to up my game. You want a break first?”

“No . . . no. I’m going to stay focused and just feel my movements. Give me a challenge, bro. Bring you A-game.”

“Alright. Junbi?” Adam asked, stepping onto the blue sparring mat.

“Junbi.” Jason replied, circling to the other end of the mat. The two teens bowed to each other and assumed their stances.

“Si Jak!” Jason yelled, giving the sign to begin. Adam lunged at Jason, who blocked his strike before catching his friend with a side kick. The two began to trade strikes and counterstrikes, each moving with graceful speed and swift precision. Jason began to overpower Adam, who managed to use his speed to regain control over the sparring match. Without warning, a ring tone carried into the air.

“Kalyeo.” Adam said, asking Jason for a break. He jogged over to his gym bag and pulled out his cellphone.

“Hello? Yeah . . . well, I guess. Alright. Bye.” Adam’s end of the conversation echoed into the empty studio.

“That was my dad. I gotta run. Look, you’re the kyobum nim. I just made red belt last month. But I’m telling you dude, you’re the most prepared that I’ve ever seen you. There’s no way you’re not walking out of the competition without a trophy.” Adam said.

“Thanks, bro. I guess I gotta shut down for the night anyway. Grandmaster Corben put a lot of responsibility in me keeping the academy open to practice. Gam Sa Hameda.” Jason thanked Adam, shaking his hand.

“Gam Sa Hameda.” Adam returned.

The Experimental Sciences Building, UCLA . . .

Hayley Morgan sat at the computer desk, running over the lines of code on her monitor, her white lab coat spilling out the back of the chair. She stretched her arms out and let a long sigh escape her lips. He glanced over at the picture of Jake Cranston, standing in his blue NASA uniform next to a cardboard display advertising the DVD release of the My Favorite Martian television show. The picture was a gag, back when Jake had planned on spending time with Hayley while the first humans landed on Mars . . . amazing how plans would change, she thought. Leaving her desk, she grabbed the cordless phone, dialing a number.

“Billy? Hey . . . its Hayley.” she spoke, into the phone. Billy sat at his own computer desk, instant messaging Trini.

“Hey Hayley. By the way, congrats on getting the extra funding. The Amit Grant is reward to very few people. The last recipient went on to create world’s first clone of a sheep.”

“Great, now I’m associated with sheep people.” Hayley joked. “No, Jake’s been on my mind. I know its barely even been a day, but I miss him.”

“I know. We all miss him here.” Billy replied.

“Are you scared for him too?”

“I was at first. But once I found out the shuttle liftoff was a success, I know his years of training will be all the confidence he needs to complete the mission.”

“I told him not to go off and pull some Bruce Willis stunt and save the world and leave me behind.”

“Come on Hayley, its Mars, not some asteroid.” Billy replied.


The DeathForce legion cruiser sat in a stationary orbit around KO-10, the Nebulos jumping into hyperspace in the distance. The newest ship to grace the Immortal Vast starfleet, its gargantuan form shadowed even the senatorial ships of the Sons of Maelstrom. A white flickering of white near its cargo bay indicated the transport shuttle was ready to dock. Within it, Lord Zedd stood beside his newly christened Master Warrior.

“Boarding procedure initiated.” Commander Tiena replied from the control chair.

“Good. Have them set a hyperspace jump for the Hyperion Constellation.” Zedd ordered. Tiena turned around in his chair, bearing a dumbfound look on his face.

“Milord, it was my understanding that we would be leaving the Verolean Galaxy and heading toward the Sol system.” Tiena insisted.

“Do not undermine my judgment, commander. I am well aware of my own plans.” Zedd replied.

“As you wish, milord.” Tiena answered, transmitting the appropriate codes to the bridge. The underbelly of the massive ship shadowed the cockpit of the shuttle as it docked within the electromagnetically sealed hangar. Several squadrons of MAWs sat at the entrance way to the turbolifts. The hatchway folded out and down, steam hissing from its sides. The ship’s admiral stood, prepared to meet Lord Zedd.

“Commander.” he nodded towards Tiena as he exited the craft. Following Tiena were several officers. Suddenly, a large shadow spilled out of the cargo hold of the ship, a form too massive to use the exit ramp. Several MAWs ran to the form to investigate.

“Tell them to stand down, Admiral.” Zedd’s easily recognizable voice came from the exit ramp.

“Soldiers, stand down. Return to your formations.” the Admiral instructed. Zedd walked down the ramp, his burgundy cape sweeping along its edges.

“Lord Zedd, I am Admiral Hi-Connis. Welcome aboard the DeathForce. My men instruct me you are changing our course to the Hyperion Constellation. I trust your judgement, milord, but I must ask . . . what place does an imperial vessel have in such a remote location?” the Admiral asked. Zedd turned to him, his body beginning to glow a crimson hue. Before Zedd could answer, the hulking aberration that was Primator stepped out of the cargo hold, walking up behind his master.

“There is an asteroid near the gamma sector that is holding a weapon of some importance to me. I expect to be there in less than a di-chron (A measure of hours). I equally expect you to recognize that next time you question my judgment, Admiral, your place will be the remotest of locations possible.” Zedd replied.

“Yes, milord.” the Admiral returned, bowing to Zedd.

Lord Zedd stood on the bridge of the DeathForce, taking in the sight of the massive planet that was KO-10. He closed his eyes, holding his arms behind him.

“What was it that I saw? The future? A titan of machinery, greater than even Serpentara. Those two glowing maws on it . . . devouring everything in sight. No matter. Serpentara is relatively unguarded . . . we must hurry. There is . . . something happening.” Zedd thought to himself, feeling the rumble of the main engines.

“Captain . . . proceed at full speed.” Zedd said, turning his head around.

“As you wish, milord.” the captain returned. Zedd felt the ship go suddenly peaceful as a high pitched whirring sound spilled out into the bridge. Zedd stepped back and found the safety of his control chair. With that, the space before them began to tear apart with light blue tendrils of energy.

“Mark!” the captain commanded. At the word, the ship lunged forward, seemingly beyond the distant stars in the viewport. The awesome force of the engines catapulted the vessel beyond our existence into that of hyperspace.

Carinasia . . .

“My lord, I have new reports of a gathering of power near the Sol sector.” the slow, alien voice began over the commlink. Emperor Nereus sat in his personal quarters, barely lit by two glowrods in the distant corners.

“I have felt it. Surely, someone has been alerted to our plans.” Nereus returned.

“I have traced an ion trail off the world of Endoi.”

“Impossible. We swept their forces years ago . . . surely, there would be no resistance there.”

“I am afraid so, my lord. A red Ranger was spotted there recently. A bit of a rebel, I believe he will be completely alone if he crosses your path.”

“I will not let this stand. Your loyalty will prove to be very . . . rewarding, Jurus. Keep me updated.” Nereus said.

“Yes, my lord.” With that, Nereus cut the transmission feed.

“A Red Ranger . . . he will be no match for Lord Zedd and the Primator unit. This Ranger will be the first Zyraku to fall to the might of the Immortal Vast in over a decade.” Nereus silently spoke, turning back to the open balcony that peered out into the valley.

The other side of the galaxy . . .

“Zedd is coming. I knew it . . . those fools, looking to fatten their pocketbooks, never taking the time to realize that they were about to unleash. Zordon remains un-alerted to this threat. The Dekan Red Ranger will not be enough to stand his armies down. I must intervene . . . but are my powers stable enough? After my last encounter with Barox, I am uncertain. The Scepter is becoming more and more incapable of possessing these powers. I must act swiftly while I still have them.” the dark form spoke, watching the massive DeathForce vessel burst out of hyperspace.

Part Four Coming Soon!

[Time Ranger]

I like this Fan fic and the site keep it Up. Peace God Bless

[TSoldier]

Great! Still no action, but defnitely more enjoyable then the 1sr 2 chapters. No offense intended,of course, I just wasn't nearly as bored with this one, and a whole lot more entertained. This chapter just had me asking myself what had really been accomplished in the last 2 chapters outside of Zedd's arrival.

Your interpretation of MMPR is very original and I'm really looking forward to seeing how it progresses. I'm eager to see how the action and adventures will play out. I don't care much for Zedd's place in the chain of command. I prefer him to be on top of things, taking into consideration that your fan fic has acknowledged his access to the Morphin Grid. It's clear, however, that thing are have yet to get completely established, that Zedd is working in his own accord and that there is so much more to come. I anticipate when that will occur. Good work.

[BattleRanger]

For all those following, I am preparing Part Four, the most ambitious chapter yet. For those who have been bored with the set up of our heros as normal teenagers first and Zedd's place in the Immortal Vast. Lord Zedd isn't on top of things here, but he follows no man's orders. The first two chapters were meant to introduce these characters so that you would realize just how normal their lives were. It has to be a very big and very different change for them to become Power Rangers.
With Zedd, you know how powerful he is. The fact that he isn't Emperor of the Immortal Vast is attributed to the fact that Nereus fled with the Vast armies once Zedd re-engaged the Power Rangers on Eltar. All this is covered in the Foreword, so why the confusion? Zedd has a struggle and a personal vendetta not just with Zordon, but his own Emperor. It adds drama to the story.
Part Four will see Zedd attack the Earth and force Zordon to draft a new team of Rangers. But how will these teens learn to work together for a common good, to ward off Zedd's attacks? How will Zordon depend in their abilities, when he had all along anticipated to train a team before such an attack? Get ready to find out.

[BattleRanger]

Edits and explanations

There will be some good edits to Fire and Ice, mostly grammar and reworking of a few scenes, in the interest of presenting the highest quality fanfic possible. A lot of you are complaining about how long Zedd took to wake up and get ready to exact his revenge on Zordon, about how the book is lacking of major action scenes, etc. I can tell you this, you have to care about these teens and see these teens as regular high school students, so that once they become superheros, the change to their lives is astronomical. Remember, in a real world, Day of the Dumpster wouldn't have happened in just one episode. The first five chapters of Fire and Ice deal with the introduction of the teens, Zedd's unearthing and awakening, introduction to the Immortal Vast, and with part four, we see Zedd finally attack the Earth with Serpentara. However, don't look for any interference from our teens until Part Five, although we will see some Ranger action in Part Four, from a new character.
Stick with Fire and Ice, its gonna be novel length and is going to carry us through the Green Ranger saga, through the ThunderZords, and up to Zedd's ultimate Zord creation, the ungodly Power Slayer.
What does the future hold? Simple ...
The next fanfic will introduce the White Ranger powers and some new enemies, as well as the Green Ranger clone. That's all I can tell you at this point.
Visit the post regularly and check for updates, starting today. Thanks and may the Power protect you all.

[BattleRanger]

To any who are missing this fanfic ... go to www.geocities.com/rangerssaga for database entries on the Rangers of the Power Rangers saga ... and more info as well.

[V-Dramon]

To any who are missing this fanfic ... go to www.geocities.com/rangerssaga for database entries on the Rangers of the Power Rangers saga ... and more info as well.

there are no links or anything on that web site. it's just a giant quote.

[BattleRanger]

No, you have to scroll all the way down to the bottom and click on the Forever Begins logo ... if you run your mouse over the images, when it turns to a pointing finger, you click and you gain access. This is the same ALL OVER the web. I hope people start getting with the program.

[V-Dramon]

that link doesn't show up, smart ass.

[BattleRanger]

For more Fire and Ice, visit www.geocities.com/rangerssaga/

Chapter Four

The massive chunk of planetary debris floated along the cold vacuum of space. It shone with an awesome brilliancy, the result of light reflecting off the crystalline fields that stretched across the asteroid.

“I can feel it now.” Zedd whispered from his control chair.

“Milord, we have locked onto the alloys in Serpentara . . . however, we are picking up massive life-form readings surrounding it.” the captain explained.

“Prepare a shuttle for my deployment. I will deal with them personally.” Zedd instructed. He closed his eyes and sought out the signatures of these beings within the Morphing Grid. He passed through them, recognizing the species.

“Celenstans . . . “ Zedd whispered.

The asteroid’s canyon walls broke the sunlight, casting long shadows into the valley floor. The Celenstan StarSkiffs sat three dozen meters from the massive metallic leg that sat unexposed. The Celenstans, nomadic scavengers that value anything mechanical, crawled over the dark green limb, chattering in alien tongues. Their attention was soon taken by the silvery shuttle that landed just beyond their own craft.

“These dirty little maggots will not lay waste to Serpentara.” Zedd said walking toward the aliens, Primator following closely. Skittish creatures, the Celenstans began to scatter as Zedd approached them.

“Oh no you don’t!” the dark lord cried, raising his fist to the air. Blue bolts of energy sparked off the Almsteen Band, racing through the air and striking the aliens. The ring on his hand was gold and had light blue crystals set into it and was crown-shaped. Once the aliens were off their feet, Zedd struck them again with the energy from the ring, leaving them dead.

“The only good Celenstan is a dead one.” Zedd added, walking up to the mechanical limb that peered out from beneath the rock.

“Winds of the Almsteen, grant me power!” the dark lord shouted, raising his hands to the sky. The tendrils of blue energy danced along the ground, shaking it beneath Lord Zedd’s own feet. At first, the sound was the pure rumbling and shifting of dirt and rock, then came the creaking of metal, all imposed over by the sharp crackles of the bolts of energy.

“Serpentara, ARISE!” Zedd commanded. With that, the bolts increased ten fold. The massive form of Serpentara began to show, clouds of dust rolling off of its body. The howling winds kicked the dust up into a storm that cloaked the form of the Zord slayer.

“Excellent.” Zedd spoke, the winds and dust dying down. He took in the awesome sight of his personal Zord, once again in his possession.

Angel Grove, California . . .

Jason Scott walked through the door to his home, dropping his backpack off at the nearest empty chair. He made his way up the stairs and down the right to his room. Closing the door behind him, he grabbed the remote control to his CD Player and thumbed the play button. As music filled the room, he fell backwards onto his bed, letting loose a sigh. He closed his eyes for a minute, feeling the temptation of sleep beckoning him.

‘I wonder what the whole deal is with the dinosaurs . . . Zack and Adam had the same dream I had, only they called out the name of different dinosaurs . . . Zack didn’t even say a dinosaur, I think he dreamed about the Mastodon,. Must be bad meatloaf in the cafeteria again. There must be something wrong with me. I keep feeling anxious, like something’s gonna happen. And I don’t know what. I don’t even know if its something big, or something stupid. Pull yourself together, Jason. Just one week until the tournament. Now’s not the time to get committed to the psych ward.' With that, Jason’s phone began to ring.

“Hello? Grandmaster Corben . . . yes sir. No, that’s okay. I’ll just finish up at the youth center. Yes sir. Thank you.” He spoke.

“Great. His brother Michael shows up and I’m left high and dry.” Jason added, sitting up on his bed, running his fingers through his hair. He turned the CD player off and walked over to his TV, turning it on.

“And in national news, the NASA shuttle Sovereignty has begun transmitting pictures from the Martian world, including new findings that Mars once had an atmosphere much like our own and water as well. We’ll keep you updated on this breaking story.”

The planet Bromak V . . .

The shadowy form of the DeathForce cruiser came into sight, the equally dark Serpentara held in tow by several tractor beam systems. Zedd sat at the bridge, in his control chair, watching the dark red orb that hung in the viewscreen increase in size. Nearby, energy storms could be seen sweeping across the void of space, the only warning of the dimensional hole that claimed many ships in times long forgotten. This stellar gap had been studied and modified by Immortal Vast scientists as a means of jumping from one side of the universe to the other.

“Contacting jump control. . . . Authorization code accepted.” A voice came from the control panel in the bridge.

‘Everything is proceeding according to my own design. In a few hours, I will attack the earth and exact my revenge upon Zordon of Eltar. Once Zordon is out of the way, Nereus may do as he wishes to the planet and I will move to seek out the rest of his comrades, beginning with the former Yellow ZyrakuRanger, Tirene Avron. She will join her brother and her Eltarian Lord in the Elysian plane.’ Zedd thought to himself, in complete anticipation.

“Milord, we are ready to jump, with your permission.” Captain Deveri instructed.

“You may proceed at will, commander.” Zedd returned, securing himself further in his chair. The jump through the space-time hole would be a violent one that would tear a lesser ship apart. However, the legion cruisers were fitted with particle shielding that would divert any destructive energy away.

“As you wish, milord. A vector has been targeted . . . the Sol system. The gate has been set and all systems are in the green . . . engage.” Deveri repeated the information fed to him by his system monitor. With the call, the ship leapt forward through the dimensional gap, time seeming to stand still.

The surface of Mars . . .

Jake’s comm unit crackled with radio interference from the cosmos, breaking up the traffic of his teammates. Sitting in the chair of the rover, he glanced around into the horizon of red sand and clay,

“Isn’t it amazing, Robin?” Jake asked his female counterpart. Robin nodded her massive helmet.

“Yeah . . . I just wanna know where Arnold Schwarzenegger is. I got his total recall, baby.” she joked. She continued to make passes over the soil with her scanner. Suddenly, the scanner began to beep rapidly.

“I think we may have something Jake!” she hollered.

“Hey Robin, I’m a pilot, not a geologist.”

“Come on Jake, where’s your sense of adventure?” she replied. Jake left the rover and knelt down beside Robin.

“Whatcha got?”

“Some sort of alloy . . . just below the surface . . .” she answered. She moved the dust and sand away from the spot, revealing a square, copperish marker.

“Whoa . . . what is it? The last will and testament of Yoda?” Jake joked, trying to find his grasp on reality. The sheer presence of this marker would change everything ever written about the red planet.

“Its got markings . . . four diamonds in the center . . . and the rest, I dunno . . .” Robin said.

“Its ancient Egyptian . . .” Jake responded. Robin looked up at Jake with a half grin.

“Come on, I thought you were just a pilot.”

“Even I get to watch the Discovery Channel . . . no, really, I took a class in Ancient Languages back in college.”

“So what’s it say?”

“The Undead . . . or Immortal . . . will one day return. The great serpent will claim the skies, leading the lo