Power Rangers: Special Ops [Archive]

bushwacka666

04-10-2005, 07:20 AM

* ACCESS GRANTED - ENTERING ULTRASTAR RECRUITMENT DATABASE *

* ULTRASTAR RANGERS *

Amy Green / Pink Ultrastar Ranger
CURRENT STATUS: Active
http://home.ripway.com/2004-1/57528/PRSO/human/Amy.jpg
Amy was a member of the USA gymnastics team at the most recent Olympic Games, officially stated as the USA's best chance at winning a Gold Medal for the event. Unfortunately, due to sustaining an injury during her last practice session before the Games began, she had no choice but to withdraw.

Amy has been selected by Ultrastar to assume the role of the Pink Ranger, due to her agility, skill and determination. She is someone who can always be relied upon to stick to the task at hand. Ultrastar predict that such an addition to the team will help them work to complete a mission as quickly and efficiently as possible. By exercising the responsibilities of being a Ranger, it is hoped that Amy will overcome her lack of confidence developed as a result of her injury.

Jessica Knowles / Yellow Ultrastar Ranger
CURRENT STATUS: Active
http://home.ripway.com/2004-1/57528/PRSO/human/Jessica.jpg
Jessica displays an impressive knowledge of computer systems, how they operate and how they can be manipulated. Jessica has since opted to put these talents into practice by establishing a reputation as an elite computer hacker. Assuming various online aliases and using top-level detection avoidance methods, she has currently got every government anti-hacker procedure rendered obsolete. However, Ultrastar is the only known organisation that has been able to monitor her activities.

Jessica has been selected by Ultrastar to assume the role of the Yellow Ranger, due to her technical intelligence and analysing mind. Despite living her life on the wrong side of the law, Ultrastar predict that her abilities can be put to good use in their service. By exercising the responsibilities of being a Ranger, it is hoped that Jessica will learn the importance of using her talents for beneficial purposes only.

Jessica also hides a dark secret. A mystical biohazard-design tattoo is present on her back. The origins and purpose of the tattoo are currently unknown, but she has gone to great lengths to hide its existence from everybody else. The tattoo has recently begun to glow, and occasionally sends jolts of pain through Jessica's entire body.

Jack Chambers / Green Ultrastar Ranger
CURRENT STATUS: Active
http://home.ripway.com/2004-1/57528/PRSO/human/Jack.jpg
Jack is a exceptionally talented young martial arts student, currently enrolled at the local dojo of Water Rose City. Since joining the Rangers, he has succeeded in earning his long-desired black belt.

Jack has been selected by Ultrastar to assume the role of the Green Ranger, due mainly to his talents as a fighter. However, it should also be noted that he can remain calm and level-headed in a crisis. Ultrastar predict that Jack's inclusion on the team will not only help to improve the general fighting abilities of the team as a whole, but also to act as a voice of reason for those who might otherwise be reluctant to think things through. By exercising the responsibilities of being a Ranger, it is hoped that Jack will learn that patience brings its own rewards.

Andrew Butler / Blue Ultrastar Ranger
CURRENT STATUS: Active
http://home.ripway.com/2004-1/57528/PRSO/human/Andrew.jpg
Andrew's older brother Adrian was the original choice for the Blue Ranger position, but during the recruitment process, Andrew pretended to be his brother in order to obtain the position. Despite his deception, however, Ultrastar feel that he has earned himself a place on the team.

Andrew has assumed the role of the Blue Ranger, due to his confidence and dedication to the cause. Ultrastar predict that his inclusion on the team will be a great benefit. By exercising the responsibilities of being a Ranger, it is hoped that Andrew will learn to find his place with the Ultrastar extended family.

Simon Mills / Red Ultrastar Ranger
CURRENT STATUS: Active
http://home.ripway.com/2004-1/57528/PRSO/human/Simon.jpg
Simon was in employment with the Silver Guardians law enforcement agency, based in the nearby city of Silver Hills. He was selected to join the team following the untimely death of his best friend Kyle.

Simon has assumed the role of the Red Ranger. Although Ultrastar had not originally considered him for recruitment, he has since proved to be a fine leader for the team. He considers all other Rangers as his close friends, and in particular harbours secret feelings for Pink Ranger Amy. By exercising the responsibilities of being a Ranger, it is hoped that Simon will grow to be the asset that Ultrastar feels he has the potential to be.

Katrina Dearing / Black Ultrastar Ranger / Chief technician at Ultrastar
CURRENT STATUS: Active
http://home.ripway.com/2004-1/57528/PRSO/human/Katrina2.JPG
Despite her young age of 17, Katrina is the genius responsible for much of Ultrastar's Ranger technology. With the aid of her lab team, she has designed and created the Morphers, Zords and weaponry. She is truly an asset to Ultrastar and plays a crucial role in their operations.

Katrina has now been permitted to use her own Ultra Morpher. Katrina devotes much of her time to her work, which is essential in order to keep the Rangers' arsenal in top condition. However she still finds time to join the team as the Black Ranger, providing some much-needed extra muscle when the going gets tough.

Kyle Colt / Supernova Ranger
CURRENT STATUS: Active
http://h1.ripway.com/darkforge/PRSO/human/Kyle.jpg
Kyle was the original recruit for the position of Red Ranger, possessing fine leadership skills and unrivalled aiming ability with a blaster. Unfortunately, Lord Lizzax's general Blaze murdered Kyle during the first mission. However, it later transpired that Kyle met a certain figure in the afterlife - Zordon. He resurrected Kyle, who then obtained the Supernova powers to continue helping his friends.

Kyle possesses an uncanny level of accuracy when it comes to blasters, and for him to miss his target is a very rare occurence indeed. He puts this skill to great use as the Supernova Ranger, giving the team a much-needed advantage in their ongoing fight against evil.

* ULTRASTAR EMPLOYEES *

Steven Bennet / Leader of Ultrastar
http://home.ripway.com/2004-1/57528/PRSO/human/Steven.jpg
Steven is a former Ranger himself, having previously assumed the roles of the Primal Ranger and the Red Zodiac Ranger, fighting his own battles against past threats Devastator and Ivan Ooze. Approximately five years later, he formed Ultrastar in response to the inevitable attack from new villain Lord Lizzax.

As the General of Ultrastar, Steven oversees the fight against Lizzax, and the constant struggle for the Hydra's Teeth crystals. He now acts in a mentor capacity, guiding the new Ranger team through their fights, although two recent fights against DarkStar did require him to temporarily morph into both of his former Ranger forms and enter the battle again.

Since Ultrastar succeeded in reviving Steven's girlfriend Tara from her coma, the couple have now married. Steven feels proud to take on the role of father to Tara's "chosen one" child.

* ENTERING VILLAIN DATABASE *

Lord Lizzax
http://home.ripway.com/2004-1/57528/PRSO/enemy/Lizzax.jpg
The leading figure of the latest threat to Earth's safety, Lord Lizzax is a vindictive and remorseless reptile-like creature. He rarely takes an active role in his conquests, instead relying on those in his service. However, the threat he poses should not be underestimated - Lizzax is a powerful creature of evil, a fact which his ability to fire electrical beams can easily prove!

Lizzax's emotions can only usually be seen from his eyes, which change colour accordingly. Usually a solid black, they glow red when he is angry, yellow when he is elated or amused, green when envious, and blue when sad (a colour rarely seen!).

Lizzax observes Earth from the safety of his orbiting spacecraft, which features sophisticated anti-detection systems. His goal is to find and obtain the Hydra's Teeth crystals from Earth in order to power up an as yet unknown form of ultimate weapon.

Lizzax has since been attacked and left for dead by DarkStar.

Blaze
http://home.ripway.com/2004-1/57528/PRSO/enemy/Blaze.JPG
The general of Lizzax's forces, Blaze is a vicious and cunning fire-like warrior, seemingly made out of the same flames that he possesses control over. He has the power to create and manipulate fire in all sorts of forms, and when such an ability is coupled with an intimidating red sword, this being is a force to be reckoned with.

Blaze's biggest hate in life is humans - any of them and all of them! He is the one responsible for the death of Kyle, the original choice for position of Red Ultrastar Ranger. Ever since Kyle's murder, new Red Ranger Simon has vowed to get his revenge, and a simmering rivalry now exists between Simon and Blaze.

The only human who is the exception to Blaze's hatred is Nikita. Instead he finds that he has fallen in love with her, and he will go to great lengths to protect her. However, since the rise of DarkStar, it has become clear that Blaze has lost the one he loves. After several torture sessions at DarkStar's hands, Blaze has escaped from her fortress. His current whereabouts are unknown.

Technicals
The Technicals are the scientific advisors and monster makers in Lizzax's service. These two beings share the same body, having the appearance of a turkey-like creature with two heads. The male half - Squawk, and the female half - Screech, have no choice but to work together. Very occassionally they have their squabbles, but for the most part have learned to work together.

Squawk and Screech also possess the ability to make the monsters grow, via a dual synchronised scream that creates sound waves capable of rapid enlargement. It is mainly because of this power that the Technicals are kept around - otherwise their continued antics might annoy the others that one point too far!

Nikita Zerafa
http://home.ripway.com/2004-1/57528/PRSO/human/Nikita2.JPG
A civillian, Nikita was initially a friend of the Rangers. She wanted to help them in their fights, but was rejected by them due to the danger she kept putting herself in. This drove a wedge between her and the Rangers.

Nikita has since fallen in love with the alien general Blaze, and now spends her time with him. However, Lizzax is not entirely happy with the situation. In an attempt to prove her worth, Nikita began a dangerous quest for ownership of the Nightblade, a weapon of great evil. Unfortunately this quest resulted in her death, and in the rise of new villain DarkStar.

DarkStar
PICTURE (http://h1.ripway.com/darkforge/PRSO/enemy/DarkStar.jpg)

When Nikita gained possession of the Nightblade, the evil weapon possessed her body and mind, transforming her into the deadly warrior known as DarkStar. This new threat defeated Lord Lizzax with ease and took over his place to lead the attack on Water Rose City. An skilled warrior with elite fighting abilities, DarkStar often chooses to take a more personal involvement in battles compared to Lizzax.

DarkStar wields the Nightblade, the ultimate weapon of evil. The sword is a living being all of its own, able to discharge powerful bursts of dark energy. The entire blade is made up of several intertwining tree branches that can stretch out and wrap themselves around unfortunate targets. The Nightblade is the true leader, and DarkStar's only wish is to serve and obey her one evil master. However it seems that DarkStar is beginning to lose her control over the Nightblade, and the weapon appears to be changing her beyond what even she imagined possible.

Reptolites
Foot soldiers of Lizzax's forces. Smaller versions of the lizzard-like leader himself, with longer whipping tails and rows of jagged teeth.

ReptoDarks
Enhanced foot soldiers, created by the Nightblade's power. Stronger and faster than their predecessors, the ReptoDarks must be completely decapitated to be destroyed.

Dentists
Robotic drilling machines, specifically designed for the mining of Hydra's Teeth.

* ENTERING ALLY DATABASE *

Tara Bennet (formerely Tara Lawrence)
http://h1.ripway.com/darkforge/PRSO/human/Tara.jpg
Tara has been the long-time love interest of Steven. The two finally became a couple, and then Tara joined him in battle as the Green Zodiac Ranger. Unfortunately during a dinner date, the pair came under attack from an (at the time) unknown robot general, who claimed that Tara must not be allowed to live. It is now known that this robot - Iron Claw - is a member of a group known as the Metal Minds, who knew of the prophecy that Tara would give birth to the human who was destined to stop them. In an attempt to stop this child from being born, Iron Claw injected a poison into Tara's body that sent her into an instant coma.

Six years later, Ultrastar managed to collect enough Hydra's Teeth crystals to power up a device that could revive Tara. Since having made a full recovery, she and Steven finally married, and now looks forward to the birth of her "chosen one" child.

Razers
A large group of rebel freedom fighters, with a similar operation to the Silver Guardians but with no official jurisdiction. The Razers' main strength lies in their numbers. Many are not skilled at close-quarters fighting, but their blaster weapons do offer some form of defence.

Much about the Razers' operation is still unknown. General Bennet has had a previous acquaintance with their leader, the Captain Todd Martin. Another key figure is Lieutenant Samsa, who has been spotted commanding Razer groups on several occasions. Ultrastar do express worries about the freelance nature of the Razers, but do not deny the benefit they might provide.

Zodiac Rangers
On Steven and Tara's wedding day, DarkStar ambushed Tara (along with Amy and Katrina) on their way to the church. Steven took it upon himself to lead the rescue, aided not only by the Ultrastar Rangers but also by his former Zodiac Ranger team-mates, who had arrived for the wedding. Michael Fisher, Ayumi Tanaka, James Shilling and Michelle Killick joined Steven and Tara in morphing one last time, teaming up with the Ultrastar Rangers and repelling DarkStar's latest attack.

Dulcea
Guardian of the Zodiac Temple and former mentor to the Zodiac Rangers, Dulcea also returned to attend Steven and Tara's wedding. It was her who discovered DarkStar's ambush on Tara, and she gave the Zodiac Rangers their powers back temporariliy so they could help the Ultrastar Rangers stop the attack.

bushwacka666

04-10-2005, 07:21 AM

Each Ranger has an Op Drive device built-in to their left glove. These Op Drives can instantly tranform the Rangers into a brand new form, each one specialised for a certain environment or task. These forms are essential as the Rangers journey throughout the globe in their search for the Hydra's Teeth. In addition to brand new suits, most "Op File" also come with their own unique arsenal and Zords.

ULTRASTAR RANGERS:
http://host.picturewizard.com/2004-1/57528/PRSO/ultrastar/Standard2.JPG

The brand new Ultrastar Rangers are the Earth's best defence against Lord Lizzax and his forces. To aid them in their fight for the Hydra's Teeth, the Rangers' new powers grant them the Ultra Blasters (pistol sidearms), as well as each Ranger's individual Ultra Weapon:

Amy = Ultra Cannon
Jessica = Ultra Rifle
Jack = Ultra Staff
Andrew = Ultra Sword
Simon = Ultra Gloves
Katrina = Ultra Axe

The first five weapons combine to form the Ultrastar Launcher, and Katrina's Ultra Axe can perform an energised attack called the Ultrastar Super Strike. They also have vehicles called the MantaStars, which are like dune buggys but with fans instead of wheels, allowing them to glide through the city at great speed.

SUPERNOVA RANGER:
http://h1.ripway.com/darkforge/PRSO/supernova/Supernova.JPG

The Supernova Ranger is generally stronger and faster than the rest of his team-mates. His unique weapon is called the NovaBolt: a pistol weapon that features both Single Shot and Rapid Fire modes. It can also excute the finishing attack, the Nova Blast.

DESERT STRIKE:
http://home.ripway.com/2004-1/57528/PRSO/desert%20strike/DesertStrike.JPG

Their first new Op File, Desert Strike grants the Rangers new camoflague-style suits which keep them safe in hot and sandy desert conditions.

Desert Strike gives the Rangers a whole host of new weapons and equipment, including:

Desert System (mini computer and GPS system inside a suitcase).
Rapid-fire machine guns.
Shoulder-supported bazookas/rocket launchers.
Electronic binoculars.
Flare guns.
Time-delayed grenades.

STREET RACER:
http://h1.ripway.com/darkforge/PRSO/street%20racer/StreetRacer2.JPG

Street Racer grants the Rangers new motorcyclist-style suits which are ideal for urban patrol and defence.

Street Racer gives the Rangers a whole host of new weapons and equipment, including:

Rollerblade wheels that pop out from the Rangers' boots.
Homing beacon (with gun launcher).
"UltraGrip" gloves that allow super-sticky grip.
Rope with attached magnet.
Belt buckle that doubles as an explosive.

Street Racer also grants the Rangers new vehicles including motorcycles called the Street Strikers and an armoured truck called the Urban Command.

ARCTIC SURVIVAL:
http://home.ripway.com/2004-1/57528/PRSO/arctic%20survival/ArcticSurvival.JPG

Arctic Survival grants the Rangers new suits especially designed for use in sub-zero temperatures. The suits themselves feature state-of-the-art insulation technology to keep the wearer warm, plus a thermal imaging mode in the visor.

Arctic Survival gives the Rangers a whole host of new weapons and equipment, including:

Skis or ice skates that pop out from the Rangers' boots.
Ski poles that can also be used as swords.
Heat laser.
Small marble that creates an energy force field.
Belt buckle that doubles as a heat charge.

Arctic Survival also grants the Rangers new snowmobile-type vehicles called the Frost Runners.

AIR ASSAULT:
http://h1.ripway.com/darkforge/PRSO/air%20assault/AirAssault.JPG

Air Assault grants the Rangers new suits especially designed for use in aerial combat situations.

Air Assault gives the Rangers a whole host of new weapons and equipment, including:

Assault Packs (backpacks with built-in parachutes).
Arm-mounted propellor blade.
Desert System (see "Desert Strike" Op File).

Air Assault also grants the Rangers a sleek silver jet vehicle called the Aerial Command.

AQUA DRIVE:
http://h1.ripway.com/darkforge/PRSO/aqua%20drive/AquaDrive.JPG

Aqua Drive grants the Rangers new suits especially designed for use in underwater situations. The helmets include built-in rebreathers as well as headlamps to illuminate dark areas. The visors also feature a sonar imaging mode to help track things down.

Aqua Drive gives the Rangers a whole host of new weapons and equipment, including:

Harpoon guns.
Magnetic limpet mines.
Mine detectors.

Aqua Drive also grants the Rangers new jet ski-type vehicles (also with a submarine mode) called the Depth Chargers.

ASTRO BATTLE:
http://h1.ripway.com/darkforge/PRSO/astro%20battle/AstroBattle.JPG

Astro Battle grants the Rangers new suits especially designed for outer space operations. Their helmets provide a constant supply of oxygen, and their belt buckles contain gravity generators that help them to move normally in low gravity environments.

Astro Battle also gives the Rangers access to futuristic phaser rifles that fire powerful blasts of energy.

WARRIOR EXTREME:
http://h1.ripway.com/darkforge/PRSO/warrior%20extreme/WarriorExtreme.JPG

Following the arrival of DarkStar, Katrina and her team were set the task of designing a new Op File to combat this dangerous threat. Warrior Extreme is the result. With the energy supplied by some of Ultrastar's Hydra's Teeth crystals, this Op File is the Rangers' best hope of matching DarkStar's power.

Warrior Extreme arms the Rangers with a wide array of effective weaponry, including:

Rapid-fire laser miniguns.
Double-sided swords.
Spiked circular shields.
Axes.
Explosive longbows.
Razor blade frisbees.

STEALTH FORCE:
http://h1.ripway.com/darkforge/PRSO/stealth%20force/StealthForce.JPG

Stealth Force is an Op File specially designed for covert infiltration and operation. The virtually all-black suits enable the Rangers to use darkness and shadows to their advantage, while the belt buckles feature built-in sensor jammers that allow them to remain undected by enemy radar. The helmets also boast an X-ray Vision mode in the visors.

Stealth Force arms the Rangers with a host of new specialist equipment, including:

Crossbows.
Wrist-mounted grappling hook launchers.
Cutting lasers.
Hang-glider backpacks.

CYBER STRIKE:
http://h1.ripway.com/darkforge/PRSO/supernova/CyberStrike.JPG

Cyber Strike is an Op File used only by the Supernova Ranger. It allows him to interface with computers on a unique level, enabling him to physically enter and explore inside the systems. In this form, he can also summon a high-powered laser sniper rifle.

bushwacka666

04-10-2005, 07:21 AM

(Zord pics can be pretty big - click on links to see them).

ULTRASTAR ZORDS:
Each Ranger pilots their own animal-styled Zord, perfect for all-round general battle on a giant scale.

Ultrastar Zords (http://home.ripway.com/2004-1/57528/PRSO/ultrastar/UltrastarZords.JPG)

The five Zords combine to form the Ultrastar Megazord. The Megazord used a sword called the Ultra Sabre to fend off monsters.

The Ultrastar Zords are transported into battle by the Rhino Carrier (http://home.ripway.com/2004-1/57528/PRSO/ultrastar/RhinoCarrier.JPG).

DESERT STRIKE ZORDS:
The Desert Strike Op File provides access to a new fleet of Zords.

Pink Ranger = Sand Speeder
Yellow Ranger = Dune Racer
Green Ranger = Tracker Tank
Blue Ranger = Battle Wagon
Red Ranger = Desert Cruiser

Desert Strike Zords (http://home.ripway.com/2004-1/57528/PRSO/desert%20strike/DSZords.JPG)

The five Zords combine to form the Desert Strike Megazord (http://home.ripway.com/2004-1/57528/PRSO/desert%20strike/DSMegazord.JPG). The helicopter blades from the Desert Cruiser forms the Rotary Shield for the Megazord to use. The gun turrets from the other 4 Zords form the Strike Turrets which unleash a powerful barrage of firepower.

The Desert Strike Zords are transported into battle by the Desert Fox Carrier.

STREET RACER ZORDS:
The Street Racer Op File provides access to the Battle Bikers: human-shaped machine that ride their own Zord-sized motorcycles.

Pink Ranger = Battle Biker 5
Yellow Ranger = Battle Biker 4
Green Ranger = Battle Biker 3
Blue Ranger = Battle Biker 2
Red Ranger = Battle Biker 1

The Battle Bikers cannot form a Megazord. However, each Zord can combine with its own motorcycle to form Mega Mode. The cycle forms armour for the main Zord, where the windshield provide an electronic targeting display. The handlebars can be used as weapons, and the front wheel becomes an arm-mounted saw weapon. All 5 Battle Bikers destroy monsters by unleashing the Energised Tyre Strike - a rapid shower of energy discs fired from the Wheel Saws.

The Battle Bikers are transported into battle by the Nitro Carrier.

ARCTIC SURVIVAL ZORDS:
The Arctic Survival Op File provides access to a new fleet of Zords.

Pink Ranger = Snow Speeder
Yellow Ranger = Ice Skimmer
Green Ranger = Ice T
Blue Ranger = Polar Tractor
Red Ranger = Arctic Hovercar

Arctic Survival Zords (http://home.ripway.com/2004-1/57528/PRSO/arctic%20survival/ASZords.JPG)

The five Zords combine to form the Arctic Survival Megazord (http://home.ripway.com/2004-1/57528/PRSO/arctic%20survival/ASMegazord.JPG). The front skis from the Snow Speeder and Ice Skimmer can raise up to form blade weapons called the Ice Picks. These deliver the finishing attack known as the Icicle Strke.

The Arctic Survival Zords are transported into battle by the Sub Zero Carrier. This is a huge sled pulled by six husky Zords. The Black Ranger can transform them into the Sub Zero Megazord, a mighty machine that can stop a monster dead in its tracks with its finishing attack, the Deep Freeze.[/QUOTE]

AIR ASSAULT ZORDS:
The Air Assault Op File provides access to a new fleet of Zords.

Pink Ranger & Yellow Ranger = Skywarp
Green Ranger = Cloud Kicker
Blue Ranger = Power Bomber
Red Ranger = Air Raid

Air Assault Zords (http://h1.ripway.com/darkforge/PRSO/air%20assault/AAZords.JPG)

The four Zords combine to form the Air Assault Megazord (http://h1.ripway.com/darkforge/PRSO/air%20assault/AAMegazord.JPG). Two giant arm-mounted propellor blades called the Assault Turbines can be summoned. These deliver the finishing attack known as the Turbine Trap.

The Air Assault Zords are transported into battle by the Skydive Carrier. The Black Ranger can transform it into the Skydive Megazord.

AQUA DRIVE ZORDS:
The Aqua Drive Op File provides access to a new fleet of Zords.

Pink Ranger = Wave Runner
Yellow Ranger = Surf Skimmer
Green Ranger = Sub Striker
Blue Ranger = Hydro Cruiser
Red Ranger = Aqua Pod

Aqua Drive Zords (http://h1.ripway.com/darkforge/PRSO/aqua%20drive/ADZords.JPG)

The five Zords combine to form the Aqua Drive Megazord (http://h1.ripway.com/darkforge/PRSO/aqua%20drive/ADMegazord.JPG), specially designed to remain unaffected by water resistance, providing maximum effectiveness during submerged battles. It performs a finishing attack called the Typhoon Twister.

The Aqua Drive Zords are transported into battle by the Deep Dive Carrier.

ASTRO BATTLE ZORDS:
The Astro Battle Op File provides access to a new fleet of Zords.

Pink Ranger = Astro Fighter
Yellow Ranger = Astro Saucer
Green Ranger = Astro Turbine
Blue Ranger = Astro Tanker
Red Ranger = Astro Warrior

Astro Battle Zords (http://h1.ripway.com/darkforge/PRSO/astro%20battle/ABZords.JPG)

The five Zords combine to form the Astro Battle Megazord (http://h1.ripway.com/darkforge/PRSO/astro%20battle/ABMegazord.JPG), specially designed for outer space battles. The Astro Saucer can be thrown like a frisbee for a finishing attack called the Astro Death Disc.

The Astro Battle Zords are transported into battle by an enormours spaceship called the Space Striker.

bushwacka666

04-10-2005, 07:52 AM

bushwacka666 presents some original music put together to accompany the Special Ops fic, all written by the Bush-Man himself.

WARNING: I can't sing to save my life! But hey at least I was willing to try something new - it'll give you the idea at any rate. So with that in mind, download at your own risk. Feel free to laugh and take the p**s, I don't care - I know I suck! :D

Direct Download links (I recommend the good old "Right Click/Save Target As" routine), kindly provided by Jacen:

Theme (http://xares.net/bw/prso_theme.mp3)

The Will Inside Your Heart (http://www.xares.net/bw/PRSO%20-%20The%20Will%20Inside%20Your%20Heart.mp3)

Feel The Power (http://www.xares.net/bw/PRSO%20-%20Feel%20The%20Power.mp3)

The Nightblade's Curse (http://www.xares.net/bw/PRSO%20-%20Nightblade's%20Curse.mp3)

And, because my recording equipment is basic, amateur and crap :D , I'll throw in the lyrics for you too.

Power Rangers Special Ops,
Power Rangers flying to the top,
Power Rangers never ever stop,
Power here today.

Future calls you to discover,
One team unlike any other,
Never ending dedication,
To a special operation.

(Go!) Ultrastar is comin’,
(Go!) Send the evil runnin’,
(Go!) Stand tall like a tower,
(Go!) Turnin’ up the power.

Power Rangers Special Ops,
Power Rangers flying to the top,
Power Rangers never ever stop,
Power here today.

Power Rangers, Special… Ops!

So you get this feeling now, that something’s just not right,
You know you’d better keep your guard up tonight.
Danger is nothing new, you see it all the time,
You know it’s up to you to prevent the crime.

An evil villain’s here, he’s right up in your face,
He’s daring to invade your personal space.
There’s nowhere you can run, there’s nowhere you can hide,
Remember that the Power lies on your side.

When the boss orders a mission, and it’s given to you,
You’ve got to do whatever, it takes to see it through,
No time for second chances, no you can’t fall apart,
Just use your greatest weapon, the will inside your heart.

The will inside your heart.

You’ve got them on the run, they’re lookin’ real afraid,
And now it is your turn to darken their day,
So get them in your sights, destroy them once or twice,
Don’t stop until they’ve paid the ultimate price.

When the boss orders a mission, and it’s given to you,
You’ve got to do whatever, it takes to see it through,
No time for second chances, no you can’t fall apart,
Just use your greatest weapon, the will inside your heart.

You’re in a big fight, on the side of right,
Better hold on tight, (have to give it all you’ve got),
Got no time to waste, get right on the case,
Proudly show your face, (don’t try to be what you’re not).

Not about to lose, time for you to choose,
Fighting for what’s true, (coz you know you can’t back down),
Down into the dark, light it with a spark,
Gotta make your mark (ready for another round).

Everything’s against you,
Everyone resents you,
Don’t let them get to you.

When you feel you just can’t win, you have to look within,
Seek the strength inside your mind, can you feel the Power?
Even when you’re on your own, you’ll never be alone,
There’s an ally you can find, can you feel the Power?

Rangers firmly stand, all over the land,
Hope is in their hands, (can’t you see hope lies in you),
You know what you hold, powers yet untold,
Courage to be bold, (time for you to make your move).

Move into attack, watch over your back,
Never start to lack, (confidence in your own strength),
Strength that they don’t show, strength they couldn’t know,
So they’ll have to go, (you’ll be here until the end).

Try and make them get to,
Wish they could forget you,
Regret the day they met you.

When you feel you just can’t win, you have to look within,
Seek the strength inside your mind, can you feel the Power?
Even when you’re on your own, you’ll never be alone,
There’s an ally you can find, can you feel the Power?

When you feel you just can’t win, you have to look within,
Seek the strength inside your mind, can you feel the Power?
Even when you’re on your own, you’ll never be alone,
There’s an ally you can find, can you feel the Power?

Can you feel the Power?

I can feel the darkness,
It’s starting to take control,
The spirits embrace me,
The Nightblade has taken hold.

I’m seeing things in a brand new way,
Forgetting how everything looked before,
Night-time has forever destroyed the day,
All this power, and still I crave more.

My sword does not obey my order,
I obey the will of my sword,
For every innocent victim I slaughter,
Satisfaction is my reward.

Evil is as evil does,
All your hate destroys my love,
You can’t stop me, you wouldn’t dare,
Fight against me, see if I care.

If I’m in the battle, no way you can win it,
Absolutely evil, and lovin’ every minute,
Every piece of my soul lies deep within it,
Don’t try to resist (the Nightblade!)

The friend you once knew, will neglect ya,
Even more powerful than Dark Specter,
You come too close, I will dissect ya,
Don’t try to resist (the Nightblade!)

Time Ranger

04-10-2005, 08:10 AM

Sounds really Good.

GeoRanger

04-10-2005, 08:13 AM

Sounds really Good.
I agree. Can't wait

ShadowRanger

04-10-2005, 08:15 AM

You sure you're not an evil warlord Bushy? Come on, you know you want to be. Try it, just order a few thousand slaves killed, murder your your way to the top and don't forget to kill that little insignificant peasant boy who saw you slaughter his family.

Oh yeah, interesting start too

bushwacka666

04-10-2005, 08:34 AM

LOL thanks for the early support guys, much appreciated. No I'm really not a warlord, although occasionally I have an urge... :cool:

Anyways, now up on the database: you have been granted special access to Ultrastar's computer files. Read through their confidential records on the people they have selected to become Rangers when the new threat arrives.

bushwacka666

04-14-2005, 04:31 AM

“This is the place.”

“Are you certain?”

“I am certain.”

“You had better be. I have waited far too long, Blaze, and I cannot afford for you to be wrong. More to the point, you cannot afford to be wrong.”

“Put your trust in me, my Lord. You will have no need to punish me, but you may wish to reward me once my calculations are proved accurate.”

“Your confidence is favourable with me Blaze, make no mistake about that. But never suggest to me how I should rule my subjects. Always remember that I am the supreme authority here.”

“Of course. My apologies, Lord.”

“Enough! This exchange of words between us only serves to waste time – a waste that we cannot afford. Call in the Technicals and instruct them to prepare for the first search.”

“Immediately, my Lord.”

“The Teeth will be mine. Every last one.”

*

“Are you sure they’re here, Hawkins?”

“Yes sir. Their ship has been detected just outside of Earth’s atmosphere. They’ve now come to a complete halt – we’ve definitely been targeted.”

“How much time do we have?”

“Hard to say sir. Could be a matter of hours.”

“Katrina?”

“Yes sir?”

“Is everything ready?”

“All systems go.”

“Then we know what we have to do. Give the signal – it’s time to bring them in.”

*

A martial arts dojo, and a young man stood ready, with short dark hair and wearing a white karate suit with a red belt. Another man, even younger still and wearing a green belt, ran in to attack. The red belt was more than ready, swiftly sidestepping as his opponent continued past him, following with a pretend chop to the back. The green belt turned back around, attempting a few high kicks, but hit nothing except air as the red belt leaned his upper body to the sides in an almost Matrix style manner. The green belt lowered his leg again, and whilst he attempted to rearrange his footing, the red belt took advantage of the situation. Moving quick, he latched onto the green belt’s arm and pulled, flipping him over his shoulder and onto the mat. He finished by placing his foot onto the other man’s chest and pressing down lightly to restrain him.

Sitting around the mats, the other dojo students gave their applause, all of them green belts themselves. Admitting defeat, the contender on the mats now returned to his feet, where he and the winner bowed to each other in the traditional fashion.

“Very good” announced the instructor, an older; bald man demonstrating his black belt proudly. “I hope the class was taking note. You are all making great progress, but remember that you are not experts yet. Once you reach red belt level, that is the type of skill you will hopefully be able to display. I want to thank Jack for helping out with today’s demonstration.”

The young man in the red belt acknowledged the instructor with a nod.

“Alright, that’s it for today” said the instructor. “Dismissed.”

The students left for the locker rooms to get changed and go home. Jack went up to the instructor.

“Thanks again for agreeing to help out, Jack. It’s good to see that dedication of yours.”

“I’m happy to help, Master Carvey” replied Jack. “But I’m not sure about my so-called dedication.”

Master Carvey smiled and placed a reassuring hand onto Jack’s shoulder. “You’ll get there. If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a hundred times: you’ve got to stop being so hard on yourself.”

“But something’s definitely wrong somewhere. I’m only one level below black belt, but I keep stuffing up on my trials. I can never get that one move how I want it.”

“Well it’s a hard move to pull off. It even took me two tries to get it right. You’ve just got to keep trying. Believe in yourself and don’t give up – that’s the dedication I’m talking about.”

Jack sighed but nodded. He said goodbye to Master Carvey and then went off to get changed. As he entered the locker room and reached his bag, he noticed that nobody else seemed to be around.

“Weird,” he said out loud, “I didn’t think everyone would’ve changed that fast.”

“Jack Chambers?” a sudden voice came from behind. Jack turned around: standing there were two beefy men, dressed in black suits and ties.

“Who are you?” Jack asked cautiously. “I don’t think you guys are supposed to be in here.”

“Are you Jack Chambers?” one of the men asked him again.

“Yeah. What’s it to you?”

“Mr Chambers, we need you to come with us.”

“I don’t think so.”

“It’s quite important, Mr Chambers” the other man added. “Your talents are greatly sought after.”

Jack raised an inquisitive eyebrow. For some strange reason, (one that not even he understood!), he now felt the urge to find out what this was all about.

“Do I have time to get changed first?” he asked the men.

One of the men looked at the other, who nodded in response. The first man turned back to Jack:

“Make it quick.”

*

Meanwhile, just a few blocks away from the dojo, several people bustled around Fire-Wire. The Internet Café was quite popular, especially with the teenagers who used it as a frequent hangout spot. Getting a computer wasn’t always easy, as many school students used them for work as well as recreation, but sometimes people forgot that they could also go in there to get a nice drink as well as surf the net.

Fixed to the wall by the bar, the TV set currently showed the weather report. It was just on in the background, nobody really watching it. Still, the presenter’s voice remained as cheery as ever as she gave the forecast:

“Today’s another great day in Water Rose City. Another sunny bright start, and expect it to remain dry all day – unless you go near the water, of course!”

The presenter gave a little half-forced chuckle. However, sitting at the bar was a young girl with shoulder-length dark brown hair. She rolled her eyes: the weather presenters made the exact same remark almost every time! Fair enough, the large natural lake shaped like a rose located in the city centre was a local landmark, an attractive feature that had earned the city its name. Unfortunately it also invited a few incredibly lame “jokes” such as this one.

The girl took another sip of her chocolate milkshake and carried on reading her book, some lame 18th Century novel she was studying for Literature at school. For the most part it was pretty boring, but there was something about the time period that interested her. She wondered what it would be like to live in those times, to dress up in those elegant gowns and dance with handsome strangers at fancy balls. Sadly, however, her real life was quite the opposite. Nothing interesting ever happened to her.

Anymore…

“Amy Green?” a voice asked. The girl looked up to see a pair of suited men standing beside her.

“Yes?” asked Amy. “Can I help you gentlemen?”

“We hope so” replied one of the men. “We need you to come with us.”

Amy narrowed her eyes slightly: she knew better than to just trust two strange men who were asking her to go with them.

“You creeps better get out of here, or I’m going to scream so loud that everybody in a five mile radius will hear it!”

“We understand your apprehension, Miss Green” the other man told her. “But I can assure you that we mean you no harm. We believe we can give you a new direction in life, a career of sorts. Something rewarding and worthwhile – if you’ll let us!”

Amy thought for a moment: she hated how ordinary her life was at the moment, so maybe she did need to be a bit more pro-active in seeking new opportunities. And should these guys try anything, she was confident that she could take them down easily! She gave a nod to the men.

“Let’s get out of here!”

*

Elsewhere in the city, a few scientists in white lab coats bustled around a lab, some tapping a few keys into computers, others carefully pouring some fluorescent liquid into a beaker. One young man in particular currently stood in a corner, using a mop to soak up a small puddle. He let out an irritable sigh as he paused to run a hand through his slightly curly, dark blonde hair.

“Mr Butler?” one of the scientists asked. Almost instinctively, the boy raised his head and looked around, only to let out another sigh when he saw the scientist walk straight past him and over to a slightly older man. Of course the scientist hadn’t been talking to him. Why would she? He looked on enviously as the scientist talked to this man with interest. After a few moments, the scientists began to exit the lab.

“Andrew,” the man spoke to the young boy, “we’re going out to lunch. I’d like the lab spotless by the time we come back.”

“How about I start with mopping up your dirty lying face?” Andrew muttered under his breath. Unfortunately, the older man understood him.

“Excuse me?” he asked.

“You heard!”

“What the hell has gotten into you Andrew? You’re always acting so rude. It’s bad enough that you treat me that way, but you even show the others the same attitude.”

“How do you expect me to feel, Adrian?” Andrew shot back. “I agreed to this job because I thought I’d actually be helping out with the work you do here, and I think I’d be really good at it. But ever since the minute I stepped through that door, all you’ve had me doing is clearing up your own mess after you. That’s not what I call being a part of the team.”

“You’re too young to be trusted!” snapped Adrian. “You should just count yourself lucky that I offered you any job at all! So you’ll do it and you’ll be grateful for it, little brother!”

Andrew just glared at his brother as he left the lab for lunch. This officially sucked! Why in God’s name was he here? He wanted to be taken seriously around here, but clearly it wasn’t happening! Adrian just wouldn’t give him a chance to prove himself!

Just then, two men wearing suits walked into the lab. As Andrew was the only one there, it was up to him to explain where the other scientists were – not the first time it had happened either!

“Excuse me,” began one of the men, “we’re looking for Adrian Butler, the head scientist of this facility.”

“It’s of the utmost importance that we find him,” added the other one, “do you know where he is?”

Andrew’s reply was instant: “I’m A. Butler.”

“Well then, Mr Butler, we need you to come with us. We have a very special job offer for you.”

Andrew smiled: this was the opportunity he had waited for, the chance to prove that he could handle the more serious tasks. He was perfectly aware that these guys had been asking for his older brother, but he wasn’t here. Therefore, Andrew found it only right that he take Adrian’s place.

And the best part? He hadn’t strictly lied about it either. He had announced – quite truthfully – that his name was A. Butler. A lucky break, he thought, that the names of both he and his brother began with the same letter.

Andrew practically threw his mop to the floor. After doing whatever this job was, he would make Adrian show him some respect!

*

In the park, the sun shined down as a few birds fluttered their way from tree to tree. A young girl with long blonde hair sat by herself on a bench. A laptop computer rested in her lap, her eyes glued to the screen as her fingers flew rapidly over the keys.

“Come on, come on…” she whispered to herself, full concentration on the task at hand. “You can do it Jess. Come on!”

Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and a wide grin spread onto her face. “Yes! I’m in!” she cheered.

The girl chuckled to herself in a self-congratulation as she began to browse through some restricted files on the CIA network. She was exceptionally good at this, and she knew it! This laptop was the business – she even had a portable connection, so she could access the net from absolutely anywhere, without any kind of plug socket in sight. And when she could get into places like the CIA’s private databases, the entertainment factor went way up!

“Hmm,” she murmured to herself, “this one looks very interesting…”

She was just about to open the file, when she briefly glanced up. Standing a mere few feet away was a man in a black suit and wearing shades – and he was looking straight at her!

“Crap!” she silently cursed, certain that the game was up. This guy definitely looked like one of those government goons, and now she was going to pay the penalty.

‘But,’ she thought to herself, ‘that’s only if he can catch me first!’

Not even wasting time to switch her laptop off, she just closed it up, tucked it under her arm and then proceeded to tear off along the grass. The man in the suit promptly ran after her.

“Man, I’ve got to get out of here!” the girl told herself between breaths. Quickly looking behind her, she saw that the man was still chasing.

“Hey you, stop!” he called out. “Hold it right there!”

She would do nothing of the sort! She continued to run as fast as she could, latching onto her laptop for dear life. The man was running low on air himself, but he kept up his pace.

The girl turned the corner into a small alleyway, now skidding to a halt as her path was blocked by a metal chain fence. She wasn’t sure she could make it, but she had to try. The girl began to scale the fence – not an easy task with the laptop, but she just about managed it. As she jumped down to the other side, the man arrived on the scene, now completely gasping. With just one look at the fence, he knew there was no way he’d be able to get over that.

The girl knew it too: “Sorry pal,” she taunted with a laugh, “you’re too slow to catch me!”

She turned to carry on running – and collided with another man also wearing the suit and shades. This man quickly grabbed her arm, not in a rough way but tightly enough. The girl let out a sigh of defeat and looked up at the second man.

“Jessica Knowles?” the man spoke to her. “We’d like to have a word with you.”

*

All of these men in suits had been working in Water Rose City. Two others, however, had to make a quick trip to the nearby city of Silver Hills. Quickly and efficiently they pushed through the doors of the Silver Guardians headquarters.

Standing at the firing range, a Guardian prepared himself, wearing the standard blue uniform and cap. Taking careful aim with his blaster, he squeezed the trigger. Several lasers streaked their way down the firing range, loud noises echoing off the walls. The Guardian examined the target hopefully…

All traces of hope quickly left his face. Two holes had been made on the outer rim of the circular target. A third hole could be seen near the edge of the paper. The other lasers had made small black smoulders on the wall.

The Guardian sighed to himself, then looked over to the side, spotting the end of another blaster just peeking out from behind the wall. He looked on as the Guardian fired off a single shot – which perforated the target dead centre.

“Another bull’s-eye, Kyle” he said, walking around to meet the other Guardian. “You know, I’m trying to remember the last time you didn’t land a direct hit!”

“No such time exists, Simon” Kyle replied with a little smile. He casually ran a hand through his dark brown hair. “No such time exists.”

“Yeah, I can well believe that” Simon agreed, scratching his head through his cap. “I just wish my aim was as good as yours.”

Kyle peered over at Simon’s target. He raised an eyebrow:

“Well you’re getting better.”

Simon gave Kyle a light punch in the arm, shooting him a sarcastic amused glance at the same time.

“Oh relax man, you know I’m just teasing” laughed Kyle.

Simon couldn’t help but chuckle himself: “You’re lucky you’re my best friend. Otherwise I might not be so quick to forgive you.”

Just then, the door to the firing range opened, the two men in suits stepping inside. Kyle and Simon immediately noticed their arrival, and turned to face them.

“I don’t think you should be here gentlemen” Kyle told them. “Are you lost?”

“Kyle Colt?” spoke one of the men. “We need you to come with us. We have something of the utmost importance to discuss with you.”

“Such as?”

“This is not the place” the other man told him. “We have to go quickly, we’re on a schedule.”

“Excuse me guys,” Simon spoke up, “but anything you say to Kyle, you say to me!”

“This is none of your concern sir. We have authorisation by Silver Guardian leaders Collins and Myers to escort Mr Colt to a secret location. You can check with them if you like.”

“Why just me?” asked Kyle. “If whatever you boys are here for is ‘of the utmost importance’, then you might need as much help as you can get.” Kyle pointed a thumb in Simon’s direction. “He’s coming with me.”

“That’s not possible. It has to be you, Mr Colt, and you alone.”

Kyle opened his mouth to reply, but Simon pulled him aside:

“You got any idea what this is about?” he asked him.

“Not one! But I guess there’s only one way to find out.”

“Whoa, wait a minute. You’re not seriously considering going off with these guys?”

“I’ll check with Eric and Wes first, make sure they know what’s going on. I won’t go anywhere without their permission.”

“I don’t care what these guys say, I’m coming with you.”

Kyle shook his head: “No Si, now I think about it, it’s best not to. They said just me. If I don’t do what they say, I’ll never find out what they’re after. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.”

Kyle turned back to the men in the suits: “Let’s go.”

*

Just outside of Earth’s orbit, the huge spaceship hovered silently. A dark green in colour, the massive craft had an almost shark-like appearance, with a “fin” on each side, a “tail” at the rear, and a more rounded front. It kept watch over the planet, on the lookout for its prey.

On the bridge of the ship, two figures currently stood. The larger figure was a tall creature, a golden-orange in colour, clad only in a silver once-piece suit, plus gloves and boots. The suit bore an almost widespread illustration of a raging red inferno. The fire also seemed to radiate in his glaring red eyes.

The other figure was shorter and stockier. The most distinguishing feature of this creature was that it had two heads. A bird-like beak peered out from each long pink neck. The heads were almost identical to each other, except one had a black beak and white head feathers, and the other had a white beak and black head feathers. Dull black body armour completed the look.

A third being now entered the bridge: a tall lizard-like creature with dark red scaly skin all over. The reasonably short tail trailed behind, just about touching the floor. The wide jaw bore a jagged toothy grin, with smooth light blue eyes providing a highly eerie element to its appearance.

“Technicals,” began the lizard creature, “deliver your report.”

“Uh well, my Lord,” the head on the bird-like creature with the black beak replied in a low voice, “the planet is known as Earth. Mostly containing water, but more than enough land around for humans to live. A day on the planet is measured as 24 of their hours. A year is…”

“Tell me only that which I care about, you fools!” the lizard cut in. “Have you detected any of the Teeth?”

“Oh right” the head with the white beak now answered, this voice more high-pitched than the other. “Well yes, we believe we have found one so far, in the park of a city the humans call Water Rose.”

“Hey!” cried the head with the black beak, turning towards the other head, “I was just going to mention that, Screech!”

“No you weren’t, Squawk!” replied the head with the white beak. “Don’t lie to me!”

The two heads began to engage in a little squabble, trying to swiftly peck at each other. The fiery figure rolled his eyes, walked over to the bird figure and grabbed both necks, forcing them apart.

“Enough, you two!” he warned them. “Our Lord does not care for your bickering. I am certain that he also does not care for the fact that you have only found a single Tooth so far. That will not be enough!”

“We’re working on it!” both of the heads replied together. The fiery figure released his grip.

“What Blaze says is true,” the lizard agreed, “one Tooth will not suffice. But for now, we will act. After all, one Tooth is better than none at all. Squawk, Screech: ready a Dentist and a group of Reptolites. I want that Tooth!”

“But it won’t be of any use to you, my Lord” said Blaze.

“Not by itself, no. But I have to start the collection somewhere.”

*

In the streets of Water Rose City, the two men in black suits led Kyle across to a large white petrol tanker. One of them gestured to a door in the back of the tank:

“In you go.”

Kyle was confused: “Huh? You want me to step into a petrol tank? What’s the deal?”

“Please, Mr Colt.”

Kyle let out a breath, then climbed the attached ladder, opened the door and stepped in, closing it again behind him. Instantly his eyes widened in surprise:

The inside of the tank was like a miniature conference room. The curved walls were covered with bullet-proof padding, and a few currently blank TV screens were installed into the far end. A long oval table was fixed in the middle of the floor. Six chairs were placed around the table, five of which were already occupied. Kyle eyed the other people: three guys and two girls. One of the guys was dressed in the same black suit as the two that had brought him here.

“Ah Mr Colt,” the man in the suit now addressed him, “glad to see you. Please take a seat.”

Kyle did so. He looked around at the others – the rest of them were dressed like normal civilians, and looked just as nervous and confused as he did!

*

Outside the tanker, one of the suited men sat at the steering wheel, starting up the engine as another man climbed into the passenger seat.

“Okay, let’s get going” the passenger said. The driver nodded and started off, the petrol tanker making its way down the street.

From around the corner of a building, Simon secretly observed where his best friend had been taken. He frowned in confusion – he had to get to the bottom of this.

Jogging back, he got back into the Silver Guardian patrol car and drove forward, covertly trailing the tanker to its destination.

*

Back inside the tanker, the man in the suit spoke to the other five: “Well, now that we’re all here, I think we should get down to business. I suppose I should introduce you to each other.”

The man gestured to each of them in turn as he announced their names:

“Jack Chambers, Amy Green, Adrian Butler, Jessica Knowles, and Kyle Colt.”

“Who are you?” asked Jack. “What’s going on here?”

“You can call me Hawkins” the man answered. “I’d like to sincerely welcome you all to Ultrastar.”

“What’s Ultrastar?” Amy enquired.

“The only answer to that question I can give you is that Ultrastar is a top-secret organisation, formed as a defence strategy against one of the greatest threats to this planet that has ever existed. The five of you have been recruited to help us. I am restricted from revealing any further details at this point.”

“Look, whatever’s going on here, I’m not entirely comfortable with all the secrecy” Kyle announced.

“I understand that, Mr Colt. But don’t worry, we’re almost at our destination. You’ll be filled in further at that time.”

*

A few minutes later, and the petrol tanker came to a halt. The rear door opened, and the five recruits were let out of the secret interior. They looked up at the building in front of them, recognising it immediately: the city’s hotel.

“The Moonbeam?” Andrew asked. “What are we doing here?”

“Follow me and you’ll find out” replied Hawkins. Without any further word, he led the way into the hotel, the recruits following behind. With the group now inside, they didn’t notice Simon’s car pull up behind the tanker. Simon got out and followed Kyle and these others, keeping as quiet as he could.

Hawkins and the recruits walked straight past the reception desk, acknowledging the receptionist only with a brief nod. The group made their way straight over to one of the elevators. Hawkins pressed the button, and after a few moments, the door slid open, and he and the recruits stepped inside.

“What you never knew,” Hawkins told them, “is that the Moonbeam Hotel is also the secret headquarters of Ultrastar. We must now travel to the thirteenth floor.”

“Okay, now I’ve caught you out!” Jessica interrupted him. “Some hotels don’t have a thirteenth floor, and the Moonbeam is one of them.”

Hawkins grinned: “That’s what you think! Yes, to the public, the Moonbeam is one of those hotels which go from Floor 12 straight to Floor 14, for superstitious reasons. It’s by no means the only hotel to follow this tradition. But what only we know is that there actually is a Floor 13 – the Ultrastar headquarters!”

“Well if that’s true, then how do you get to it?” asked Amy. She looked at the elevator buttons up and down. “There’s no button for a thirteenth floor here.”

“Again, not for the public. But you see the button for the doors? That’s also a thumbprint scanner. When any civilian presses it, it will open or close the elevator doors as normal. But if an Ultrastar operative presses it, it will scan the thumbprint and get a match. This bypasses the security measures and takes the elevator to Floor 13. There’s also another hidden entrance at the staircase.”

“For some bizarre reason, I’m not buying any of this!” Kyle stated sarcastically.

Well then, please, observe…”

With that, Hawkins pressed the door button. Instantly the doors closed and the elevator promptly began to ascend.

In the lobby, Simon stepped out from around the corner. He had luckily heard every word this guy had just said. Now he knew where this secret headquarters was, he had to try and get to it. He wouldn’t be able to bypass the elevator’s thumbprint scanner, but maybe there was a way to enter this staircase entrance. Quickly he set off to find the door to the stairwell.

*

The elevator came to a halt, the doors opened – and the five newcomers gasped out in disbelief. This wasn’t the hotel! This was a high-tech base! Metal silver floor, with walls of white; grey and blue. Light panels built into the ceilings. The place was huge. The group had difficultly trying to take it all in. There was a lot of it, and the sudden change of scenery had been completely unexpected.

“I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore…” Andrew murmured, more to himself, as the group stepped out from the elevator.

“If you would please follow me” Hawkins invited the recruits. He led them all down the main walkway stretching through the centre of the base. They arrived at one room with a set of double doors that automatically slid apart.

“In you go” said Hawkins, gesturing into the room. The recruits walked in without Hawkins, the doors sliding shut again behind them. In the room was a large metal conference table and several chairs, and several large screens around the walls. Sitting at the table was one person: a man who looked only a little older than the rest of them. His short hair was blonde and his stature was well-built. He wore a military-type uniform, red in colour.

The man now stood up from the table, facing the five:

“Welcome, welcome to you all” he announced. “It’s a pleasure to finally see you all in the flesh. I apologise for the confusion you all must be experiencing right now. But rest assured, all of your questions will be answered. For now, however, we will have to start at the very beginning.”

“A very good place to start…” Amy muttered. Jessica giggled slightly, recognising the Sound of Music reference.

“Well here’s where I want to start” Kyle spoke up. “Who are you?”

“I am the leader of Ultrastar” replied the man. “My name is General Steven Bennet.”

bushwacka666

04-14-2005, 04:36 AM

The new recruits are informed of the latest threat to our planet, and receive their new powers that are the only hope of saving it. But, as they prepare for their first mission, not everything will go according to plan...

thunderblade

04-14-2005, 03:53 PM

Good to have you writing again! This is getting off to a great start.

Time Ranger

04-14-2005, 08:27 PM

This is really good. I can't wait to see what hapens with Kyle Colt and Co. Check out Tournament Red 2 when you get the chance. I know your ranger Steven Bennet was Part of the First TR. Peace God Bless

Zord_Crazy

04-14-2005, 09:27 PM

Cool premiere, BW! Sounds like the 13th floor is bigger on the inside than it is on the out, maybe?

bushwacka666

04-15-2005, 04:52 AM

Thank you all for your kind comments thus far. I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter - I know it's long(er) so I hope you managed to stay awake! :D There's a lot more stuff to come as well.

thunderblade: Thanks. It feels good to be writing again.

Time Ranger: I have seen the thread for Tournament Red 2, I'll check it out when I have time. Steven's appearance in the first TR seems like a lifetime ago though.

Zord_Crazy: welcome back, friend. ;) I thought someone might have made the comment about the size of the base - I'm glad it was you. Allow me to try and explain it the best I can...

I figure it's an issue of perspective. When you're looking at a hotel from the outside, all you'll see is a building. Similarly, when you're inside, all you'll take note of is your surroundings - the floor you're currently on. Windows aside, it'd be hard to tell exactly how high up the building you are on any given floor. If the elevator goes straight from Floor 12 to Floor 14, any civilian may assume one is directly above the other. One wouldn't really be able to judge just how high up each floor is by looking from the outside - and inside there's not much chance of noticing a huge space between Floors 12 and 14 - or just how big the space is (I picture the Ultrastar HQ as being full-size and having several levels of its own). For all intents and purposes, the 13th floor is truly hidden.

I hope that made sense! :D

Zord_Crazy

04-15-2005, 05:09 AM

I figure it's an issue of perspective. When you're looking at a hotel from the outside, all you'll see is a building. Similarly, when you're inside, all you'll take note of is your surroundings - the floor you're currently on.

Yeah, I guess it is at that. But seeing as how our boy Steven has gone all "Nick Fury", I kinda figured that he had gotten a hold of some kinda tech that can expand a space on the inside larger than the outside. Meh, live and learn.

Time Ranger

04-17-2005, 08:46 PM

Time Ranger: I have seen the thread for Tournament Red 2, I'll check it out when I have time. Steven's appearance in the first TR seems like a lifetime ago though.

Thanks Bushwacka I hope you do check it out. I hope you enjoy it. I can't wait for more of Special Ops. Peace God Bless Bro

bushwacka666

04-23-2005, 09:21 AM

“General Steven Bennet?” Kyle asked for confirmation.

“That is correct” Steven replied with a nod. “Please, take a seat, all of you. I understand you all want to know exactly why you’re here. I’d be only too happy to tell you.”

The five recruits sat down in seats around the table. Steven remained standing as he began:

“I know all of this has come as a bit of a shock to you, but I’d like you to bear with me. What I have to tell you is more important than you yet realise. You all know that aliens exist in this universe. They’ve been attacking Earth for many years now, so at least you won’t think I’m crazy when I start talking about them.”

“Fair enough” replied Jack. “But what’s your point?”

“My point, Mr Chambers, is that yet another threat has emerged. And this time, it’s targeted Water Rose City.”

A few seconds passed, allowing that news to sink into their minds. In a way, people understood there was always a chance of their city being one that could come under alien attack. And yet for it to actually happen would come as a surprise, one that nobody could prepare themselves for.

“I’d like to turn your attention to one of the screens here” Steven now continued. He pressed a button on a console by his chair, and the screen now brought up an image of five figures. The group eyed them carefully.

“This, ladies and gentlemen, is the main unit of the latest invading force. The lizard-like creature in the middle is Lord Lizzax. Not the most frightening name, I’ll admit, but this guy is extremely dangerous. He’s the leader of the new threat, and his quest has brought him here.”

“What kind of quest?” Andrew enquired.

Steven made direct contact with Andrew: “A kind that could cause the end of the planet!”

“Oh…”

“The golden-coloured man you see on the screen is called Blaze. As Lizzax’s general, Blaze can create and manipulate fire in all sorts of forms, and use this power to his will. He’s a tough fighter, and will serve his master unquestioningly. As for the bird-like creature, that’s actually two separate beings in one shared body. Squawk and Screech are their names, collectively known as the Technicals. They’re Lizzax’s scientists and mechanics, as well as his monster makers.”

“What about the other two things up there?” Jessica asked. She and the others examined another lizard-like creature standing on the far right. Similar in shape to Lizzax, but much smaller, with green skin all over and narrow black eyes. The last figure on the far left was effectively a cylinder shape on legs. A camera and torch extended from the top, and on the end was a large and long razor-sharp drill bit.

“The creature on the far right is called a Reptolite. They are Lizzax’s personal army of soldiers, fast and fearless. The walking drill is a Dentist, a special machine purpose-built for mining, extracting and retrieving the Hydra’s Teeth.”

“Um,” Kyle began, “I know it seems like all we’re doing is asking questions here, but just what the hell are the Hydra’s Teeth?”

A sudden new voice answered the question: “An incredibly powerful energy source.”

The group turned around. Standing in the doorway was an attractive young woman with long black hair. She looked about their age, and wore a short white lab coat.

“Sorry I’m late sir” she apologised to Steven as she walked into the room and came up beside him.

“Guys, this is Katrina Dearing” Steven introduced his companion. “Chief technician and scientist here at Ultrastar. Katrina, if you would please?”

“Certainly sir” Katrina agreed. She turned towards the group: “The Hydra’s Teeth are actually crystals, each one containing a reasonable supply of power. They come in various colours, but they all look largely similar to one another.”

She pressed another button on the console. The screen now brought up an image of an almost tooth-shaped jewel, a shimmering light blue in colour.

“Earth is where the Hydra’s Teeth are located, brought here thousands of years ago by an unknown being” Katrina continued. “There are dozens, perhaps even hundreds of them hidden all over the planet. Lord Lizzax’s quest is to find and obtain all the Teeth that he can.”

“He has already managed to find one, buried somewhere in the park of Water Rose City” Steven finished. “But his attacks won’t be limited to the city alone. He’ll go wherever he detects a Hydra’s Tooth – which could be anywhere in the world!”

“What does this lizard guy want with these crystals?” asked Andrew.

“He needs to get as many as he can” answered Katrina. “One by itself won’t be of much use to him, but if he gets enough, he’ll use them to power up a weapon of mass destruction. The result would be devastating – nothing would survive!”

“Which is where Ultrastar comes in” continued Steven. “We were formed to combat this latest threat. We need to find the Hydra’s Teeth before Lizzax can, and stop him getting enough to power his weapon.”

“Look,” Kyle interrupted, “why are you telling us about all of this? What’s the deal?”

“The deal is that I need your help” Steven told them. “The whole world does. You see, we’ve been watching the five of you for quite a few years now. You have been selected as new recruits at Ultrastar, and the perfect candidates to become the Earth’s latest team of Power Rangers.”

“Power Rangers?” exclaimed Jack in an excited manner. “You’re kidding! You know how to turn us into Rangers?”

“That’s right” Katrina said with a smile. “You see, General Bennet was once a Ranger himself.”

“You were?” Amy asked. “Which one?”

“Firstly, the Primal Ranger” Steven replied. “I was protecting my home city of Golden Creek from the villain known as Devastator. About a year later, my new identity was the Red Zodiac Ranger, and my new team’s mission was to stop Ivan Ooze from taking over Angel Grove.”

“Both of those Rangers were you?” Jessica gasped in surprise. “Wow!”

“So why don’t you go up against this Lizzax dude?” asked Andrew.

“I was a Ranger, but not anymore” Steven told them. “I’ve put all that behind me, and besides, I’m not as young as I used to be. I haven’t morphed for about six years now, and I don’t intend to do so ever again.”

“Why not?” asked Jessica.

“That’s none of your concern!” Steven snapped back. “I’m sorry, but my reasons are private. The only thing that matters is right now, this moment. The time has come to pass on the responsibility to a new generation. I’m asking the five of you for your help – the entire world needs you!”

“That’s a pretty big favour to ask!” exclaimed Amy. “What’s in it for us?”

Steven smiled: “I’m glad you asked that Amy. In your case, this is the opportunity you’ve always wanted to lead a more-than-ordinary life. I know you’ve been craving something exciting and challenging, ever since your gymnastics career didn’t quite work out…”

“That’s it!” Jack called out, looking over at Amy. “I thought you looked familiar: you’re the same Amy Green that was going to compete at the Olympics, aren’t you?”

Amy avoided eye contact, but just managed a faint nod. Alright, so fair enough if she had been recognised, but this wasn’t a subject she wished to discuss.

“And Jack,” Steven now turned to the young man, “I know just how good you are at martial arts. I also know that you feel you have to prove yourself as being even better – this is your chance! And Jessica, our resident hacker extraordinaire: you’ve stumbled over to the wrong side of the law quite a few times in your young life haven’t you? You want your permanent record to be cleared? Here’s how you have to do it!”

Jessica lowered her eyes slightly in confused shame: in all the years she had been illegally hacking into computer systems, not once had she ever been caught. And yet somehow this guy seemed to know about her little hobby – someone had been keeping tabs on her activities all along. One thing was for certain: she didn’t want to go to jail.

Steven shifted his gaze again: “And Adrian?”

No reply.

“Adrian?” he asked once more.

“Huh?” replied a startled Andrew. “Oh yeah, that’s me!” He had almost forgotten that these guys still thought he was actually his older brother.

“Why do you think you were recruited?” Steven asked him.

Andrew frantically racked his brain – how the hell should he know? Clearly, despite what this General Bennet guy supposedly knew, he was clueless about who he really was. Would he be found out now?

“Um…” Andrew stammered, “beats me…”

Steven just chuckled: “Maybe you’ll find out sooner or later.”

Andrew was more confused than ever! Just what had he let himself in for?

“And what about me?” Kyle spoke up.

“You Kyle?” said Steven with a knowing smirk. “I thought you loved every opportunity you could find to get your gun off! The Silver Guardian with the remarkably precise aiming skills. Don’t worry: in this line of work, there’ll be plenty of things to shoot!”

*

Meanwhile, in the park of Water Rose City, several flashes of light signified the arrival of a small band of alien creatures. The Technicals stood at the front of the pack, with a large group of Reptolites hissing behind them. A Dentist brought up the rear, ready to bore its way through the ground and find the Hydra’s Tooth that had been detected here.

“Alright fellas, you know what you’ve got to do” began Squawk.

“Spread out and find that Tooth!” ordered Screech.

The Reptolites obeyed, promptly making their way through the park to begin their search. The Dentist remained stationary, waiting patiently for the Tooth to be found.

“We’ve got to work fast” Screech reminded her shared body companion.

“Yeah” Squawk agreed. “Lord Lizzax wants every last one of those crystals.”

*

At the Ultrastar HQ, Katrina led the five new recruits into the lab. The group looked around, impressed by all the technology around them.

“We’ve been working on new Morphers for a few years,” Katrina informed them as they walked, “ones capable of standing up to Lord Lizzax and his army. It’s been a huge strain – on me especially – but we think it all paid off in the end.”

“You really built all these things?” Andrew asked, amazed. “You look the same age as us.”

Katrina chuckled: “I am! 17 years old and counting, but what can I say? I’m a frickin’ genius!”

The six of them reached a small metal box on a stand. Katrina took out a silver key from her pocket, slotted it into a hole in front of the box and turned it. The box’s lid opened itself up with a hiss, and the group peered down to see what was inside:

Five devices, small and rectangular in shape, each with three rounded grooves in a row on the top, and a red LED strip above. A single red button was placed to the right of the grooves. A stripe ran down the middle of the wrist strap, each one in a different colour: pink, yellow, green, blue, and red.

“Well guys, these are the Ultra Morphers” announced Katrina.

“No offence, but they don’t look like much” said Jack.

“Maybe not, but I assure you that they can do the job. We’ve been developing these Ranger powers for years, with the utmost cutting-edge technology. Everything is absolutely state of the art – you’ll be amazed by what these powers can do!”

With that, Katrina grabbed the Ultra Morphers and handed them out to the group. They each took one and fastened it to their right wrists.

“So, how do these things work?” Kyle asked.

“To morph, you’ll announce the command, “Ultra-Op, Engage!”, and then slot your three big fingers into the grooves. They’re fingerprint scanners, and it’s a security measure to make sure that only you can use them.”

Jessica raised an eyebrow: “You’ve already got records of our fingerprints?”

“You’d be surprised at what we’ve got!” Katrina replied with a smile. “Your prints have already been programmed into the Morphers, so they’re all ready to go. They also double as communicators – that’s what the button is for.”

Katrina opened her mouth to say something else, but was abruptly cut off by a loud crash from the side. The six of them whirled around in the direction of the noise. More from instinct then anything else, Kyle swiftly withdrew his Silver Guardian blaster and took aim, finger ready at the trigger. Even though whatever it was that knocked the lamp over could not be seen in the shadowy corner, Kyle knew his precision aiming had already honed in on the target.

“Hey hey hey!” cried a voice from within the darkness. “Point that thing some place else man, you know how accurate you are with that thing!”

Kyle slowly lowered his weapon, certain that he recognised that voice:

“Simon?”

Kyle’s best friend emerged from the corner, letting himself be seen: “Hey…” he began weakly.

“What the…?” exclaimed an extremely surprised Katrina. “How the hell did you get in here?”

“I, um, found that secret entrance at the stairs.”

“I knew we should’ve installed a print sensor there as well!” sighed another voice. The group turned to see Steven enter the lab.

“Now we’ve got an intruder” the Ultrastar leader continued. “Sorry son, but it looks like you’ve just put yourself into some really hot water! What’s your name?”

Simon started to reply, but Kyle answered for him: “His name is Simon. Simon Mills.”

Steven looked at Kyle: “You know this guy?”

“He’s my best friend in the Guardians. I guess he followed me here.”

“Looking out for your friend, Mr Mills?” Steven asked him. “Making sure he wasn’t in any danger? A commendable action, I’ll give you that. But this is no place for you – now I’m wondering how we can get you out of here without compromising security!”

“Err General Bennet, if I may?” Kyle cut in. He walked up to Steven: “Please don’t do anything harsh, he just wanted to know I was alright. I promise you he can be trusted with a secret like this. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

Steven thought for a moment. He figured the man had a point. After all, Kyle was obviously a better judge of this Simon guy than he was. He let out a small sigh and nodded, accepting Kyle’s assurance.

“So,” Simon began, “you guys are going to be Rangers? Man that’s super cool!”

Kyle chuckled: “Yeah, I’ve got to agree with you there man! Just like Eric and Wes!”

“Indeed” added Steven. “I knew Wes and Eric from a special Red Ranger mission I participated in during my Primal Ranger days. I discussed with them about selecting a suitable Guardian for Ultrastar recruitment when the time came, and your name was at the top of the list Kyle.”

Kyle opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by a sudden electronic buzzer bursting into life throughout the lab, accompanied by several flashing lights.

“What’s going on?” asked Jack.

“That’s the alarm system” replied Katrina. “There’s trouble somewhere.”

“Lord Lizzax must have commenced his first attack” Steven told them. He began to make his way out of the lab: “I’ll find out where they are. Katrina, get the Rangers deployed – and make sure the civilian is out of this base!”

“Yes sir!” came Katrina’s response.

Kyle and Simon exchanged worried glances. It was time for action.

*

On the bridge of his ship, Lord Lizzax observed his soldiers in the park of Water Rose City via a viewing screen. His normally black eyes had somehow changed colour, now a solid yellow as he revelled in the joy of getting his claws around his first Hydra’s Tooth.

“Excellent!” he exclaimed. “They are hard at work. That Tooth will be found in no time, and then I shall be on my way. On my way to activating my ultimate weapon and finally laying waste to this miserable galaxy!”

“I am delighted for you, my Lord” said Blaze, stepping up beside Lizzax. “However, I would like to request a duty of my own. While the Technicals lead the search for the Tooth, I would very much like to ‘entertain the locals’, as it were…”

Lizzax turned towards his general: “You wish to take your Flame Tank for a little spin?”

“You know me so well, my Lord.”

“Sure, go ahead” Lizzax agreed with a chuckle. “We might as well officially inform the humans of their downfall!”

Blaze bowed gratefully: “Thank you, my Lord.”

*

Back in the city, the five newest Rangers on the block walked through the entrance gate to the park. Until they spotted the alien invaders, they made small conversation among themselves. After all, they had never met each other before, but they had to start somewhere.

Jack once again brought up the topic of Amy’s past career:

“I can’t believe I’m actually meeting you in person” he exclaimed. “I mean, you’re a fantastic gymnast!”

“Tipped as USA’s best hope for getting a gold medal at the Olympics three years ago” Andrew added.

Amy sighed: “Yeah, but ‘tipped’ as in past tense.”

“Yeah that really sucked that you had to back out” said Jack. “What happened again?”

“Injury, on my very last practice session before the games began. I didn’t have any other choice.”

“Are you going to compete in the next games?” Andrew asked her.

“No!” Amy replied, a little too quickly. Even now, vivid memories of that moment still filled her mind, when she landed awkwardly from a flip off the bars and broke her leg. She had since made a full recovery, but she was frightened that the same thing would happen again, that she would never be able to handle the sport again.

So she had withdrew from the games, and ceased to participate in everything gymnastics-related. The last three years had proven to be the hardest in her life, but she just couldn’t bring herself to get back into it. She was fully aware that her confidence had been shaken – even if she would only admit it to herself.

“So listen… Jack, right?” Jessica began. Jack nodded his confirmation.

“Apparently you’re really good at martial arts?”

“Red belt” replied Jack. “I guess Rangers have got to know what they’re doing.”

“Well that’s what I was going to talk to you about. I know we’ve only just met, but I wondered if you wouldn’t mind maybe teaching me a few things? I know a little martial arts, but I never really took the time to learn because I was always too busy sitting in front of a computer screen.”

“Yeah sure, I’d be glad to” Jack agreed. “If we’re going to be on the same team, it’d be a good way to get to know each other a little better.”

“Cool, thanks.”

“So is it true?” Andrew asked Jessica. “That you’re a computer hacker?”

Jessica blushed slightly: “Yeah I’m afraid so. And yes I know that it’s illegal, but I hope you won’t hold that against me.”

“On the contrary, I’m impressed! I figured only guys did stuff like that.”

“Hey!” Amy cut in. “That’s a bit of a sexist statement, don’t you think?”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that” Andrew assured them. “I guess the stereotype is that guys are the ones glued to their computers. The only girl computer freak I ever saw was when Angelina Jolie was in Hackers, and that wasn’t exactly a realistic movie!”

“Well that’s why I’m here!” Jessica said with a grin. “I’m fighting for women everywhere!”

Kyle had remained quiet through all this. He was busy thinking about Simon. To a lot of people it might seem strange, that he would worry this much, and the same with Simon. But the explanation was simple: they were just a lot closer than many other male best friends might be – almost like brothers. They had always been there to support and stand by each other, both in the Guardians and out. If one of them was suddenly whisked off by strangers for some mysterious reason, it was only natural that the other would be concerned.

So he had fully understood why Simon had followed him to the secret Ultrastar headquarters hidden inside the Moonbeam hotel. Why he had sneaked his way inside to get to the bottom of it. Kyle knew he would’ve done the same thing, had it been Simon who was recruited.

Now he couldn’t help but wonder where Simon had got to. Since being ‘politely’ removed from headquarters, he had no choice but to leave the new Rangers to set off for their mission. Had he returned to the Silver Guardian base? Or was he still around here somewhere, still looking out for his best friend?

Kyle knew it was dangerous, but he kind of hoped it was the second one.

*

In his personal office, Steven sat at his desk, using the computer to update a few notes in the files on the new Rangers. At the moment he was going over the file on Adrian Butler. The General couldn’t quite put his finger on it: for some reason, he had a strange feeling that something just wasn’t right with this one. He didn’t know what, and he didn’t know why he thought it. Maybe he was being paranoid…

Steven saved the changes to the file and closed it down, before leaning back in his chair with a weary sigh. Sometimes, he still couldn’t believe where he was today. About eight years ago, when Station X first recruited him as the Primal Ranger, he had known his life would probably never be the same again. And indeed it hadn’t been, as he found himself fighting the forces of evil, and single-handedly defending the city of Golden Creek.

Golden Creek. He missed that place. It had been his home ever since the day he was born, and even now he still had vivid pictures of it in his mind, places such as Golden Creek High School, or the Evolution leisure centre. But he hadn’t been back there for a long time.

For a while after that, his second home had been the Zodiac Temple: an ancient establishment situated in another dimension, linking to the city of Angel Grove. As the Red Zodiac Ranger, he had continued his quest for the survival of good, by fighting the malevolent Ivan Ooze. That time, he found himself as the leader of a team.

The team. He missed them too. Since the Zodiac Rangers won their final stand against Ivan, he had seen Michelle once, and still kept occasional contact with her and Michael. He hadn’t heard from Ayumi or James, or their mentor Dulcea, since they went their separate ways. And then there was Tara.

Tara. The mere thought of her name brought a rush of mixed emotions to Steven’s heart. The attraction between them in high school had initially been nothing more than a flirtation, but it had soon become much more. Sure, they had their rough patches, but when it came down to it, they had been in love. They had been so close, so comfortable…

Steven snapped back to reality, forcing himself to concentrate on something else. He gently shook his head, as if by doing so he could make these thoughts fall out through his ears. Now was not the time to think about such things.

Reaching over to a communication console on his desk, Steven flipped a switch and spoke into the microphone:

“Katrina?”

“Yes sir?” Katrina’s voice came through the speaker after a few moments.

“How are our new team doing?”

“They haven’t engaged the enemy yet sir, but we think they’re almost there now. Pretty soon, things are going to kick off!”

“Right. Listen, I want you to keep an eye on them, alright? I’m going to be unavailable for a few minutes.”

“Going into the Vault again?” Katrina asked.

Steven nodded, even though he knew she couldn’t see him.

“I need to pay a visit” he told her.

“Understood sir. I’ll keep watch.”

*

The teens rounded a corner in the park – and they saw them. The Reptolites were in clear view just a few feet away, still hunting around.

“I guess we’ve found what we were looking for” began Andrew.

Jessica rolled her eyes: “Wow, good call Adrian.”

Andrew pondered for a moment: he knew what his real name was, but everyone else thought he was called Adrian. This could get real confusing real quickly!

“So,” spoke Kyle, “is everyone ready?”

“I guess as much as can be expected” replied Jack.

“I can’t believe I’m actually going to do this!” Amy chimed in.

“I think that goes for all of us, but we’re just going to go with it” Kyle told her. “Okay, here we go… Hey, Lizard Breath!”

Just as Kyle had expected, every Reptolite stopped what they were doing and turned their heads towards the teens. Immediately they let out a variety of hissing noises, indicating they identified intruders, as the Technicals appeared from behind a tree to see what the fuss was about.

“Hey!” cried Screech. “Who are you?”

“We’re the ones who’ve come to ruin your day!” Jack retorted.

“Reptolites, attack the humans!” ordered Squawk.

The scaly soldiers obeyed, swiftly moving in. The teens instinctively snapped into defensive stances.

“Here they come!” Andrew warned.

“Should we morph?” asked Amy.

Kyle shook his head: “No time, they’re right on top of us!”

There was no chance for further conversation. The Reptolites had begun to attack, and the teens were forced to defend themselves. For Jack, this may have been the first time he had fought opponents from another planet, but he took it in his stride, knocking two of them back at the same time with a strong tornado kick. He followed with a quick punch combo and a leg-sweep.

Jessica had seen Jack’s moves and tried to copy them. However, as she had rightfully said earlier, she was no expert. Her tornado kick missed, but she managed to grab a Reptolite and flip it over her shoulder. Another one snuck up from behind, but Amy was there, coming in with a cartwheel and sending a hard side kick into the creature’s stomach, before chopping another in the neck.

“Thanks!” Jessica expressed her gratitude.

Amy flashed a smile: “No problem!”

Andrew and Kyle had also joined forces against the Reptolites, executing teamwork by watching each other’s backs and sending several punches and kicks into any part of the soldiers that were in reach. One Reptolite momentarily managed to get the best of Andrew, charging into him and following with a kick, knocking him to the ground. Luckily he was quick to outstretch his own legs and make the soldier lose his balance. Another tried the same with Kyle, but the Silver Guardian was more than ready, bringing out his sidearm and blasting it down. His unique marksmanship promptly brought down two more.

Meanwhile, from the safety of a nearby tree, Simon observed the action before him. Maybe he had no ‘official’ right being here, but he couldn’t leave Kyle to go through this on his own, it just wouldn’t be right. So here he was, having followed Kyle and the others again to find out what was going on. He just hoped that Kyle could hold off these lizard things.

Kyle could fight the Reptolites easily, but there was something else he hadn’t counted on…

A sudden flash of light burst into the air, and a new figure teleported in. The evil general Blaze landed onto the ground and immediately began making his way towards Kyle. Kyle spotted him and quickly opened fire with his blaster. His aim was spot-on, of course, but he had not counted on his opponent’s surprising display of agility. Blaze leapt up, jumping over the lasers and avoiding them completely.

“Whoa!” Kyle exclaimed. “Fast!”

Blaze laughed: “Fast, and flaming!”

Raising an arm in Kyle’s direction, Blaze sent forward a stream of fire. Kyle managed to roll clear only at the last moment before the flames scorched the grass where he had stood only moments before.

Now, Blaze outstretched his arm, summoning a dark red sword into his grip.

“My Lord sent me down here to find out what was going on” Blaze told Kyle. “Who are you, and what nerve do you have to stand in our way?”

“We’re Power Rangers pal,” Kyle shot back, “and we’re not just going to sit back and let you get these crystals!”

“So, you know of our quest? It matters not, nothing can stop us! Especially not five ordinary and insignificant humans.”

“Not ordinary, Power Rangers” Kyle reminded him.

“I think not” challenged Blaze. “You see, people are only Rangers when they can morph. And I haven’t seen any evidence of you doing that yet.”

Suddenly, Blaze ran in, catching Kyle off-guard. Grabbing onto him, his strong grip restrained him. Blaze quickly moved behind, Kyle struggling to free himself, but with no luck.

Blaze leaned in close and silently sneered into Kyle’s ear:

“Too bad…”

Then it happened: Blaze drew back his sword and then lunged it forward – into Kyle’s back and straight through his body!

The scream of pain was deafening! Unlike any sound anybody had ever heard before. The others had all seen it, but they couldn’t believe it. Too in shock to do much else, they just stared on in horror, seeing the handle buried in Kyle’s back, and the blade bursting through the chest.

Blaze removed his sword again, and Kyle instantly collapsed to the ground, completely limp.

Blaze laughed heartily: “Let that be a lesson. No human is a match for me. Or my sword!”

The villain turned to the Technicals: “I’m going to launch an attack on the city. Get rid of the other humans, and keep searching for that Tooth!”

Blaze teleported out. The other villains regrouped, allowing the others to run over to their fallen team-mate.

“Oh god!” Amy exclaimed.

“Jack, help me turn him over” said Andrew. The two of them carefully rolled him onto his back. The sight they saw was almost… unbelievable! The hole went right through Kyle’s back. The grass could be seen through it, but was quickly becoming covered by a rapidly increasing pool of blood.

“KYLE!” screamed another voice from the distance. “KYLE, NO!”

The others turned, surprised to see Simon running up to them as fast as he could. As soon as he reached them, he practically shoved Andrew out of the way and crouched down beside his best friend.

“Kyle!” he shouted out. “Kyle, speak to me! Come on man! Please!”

By some sheer miracle, Kyle was still alive! His eyes narrowly opened, he slowly turned his head, his breathing becoming incredibly forced.

“I… I had a feeling you weren’t too far away” he managed to say.

“Come on man, we need to get you out of here. Get you to a doctor. They can help you!”

Kyle glanced down to his body, where the sword had perforated him like paper:

“I don’t think… they can…”

Simon tried desperately to hold back his tears. This was unbearable for him, but he was one of those men that hated others to see him cry. Even in times like this, he had to keep his pride – for Kyle’s sake if nothing else.

“S…Simon,” struggled Kyle, “take it.”

“Take…? What, Kyle? Take what?”

“My Morpher. Take it and use it. I want you to… take my place.”

“I…I…”

“Please!” Kyle pressed. “If I can’t do it, you’re the only one I’d choose to replace me. You’d make a great Ranger, and they need you.”

Using all the strength he had left, Kyle managed to remove the Ultra Morpher from his wrist, and place it into Simon’s hand.

Simon was honoured, to think that Kyle wanted him to be a part of this.

“Kyle…” he choked out.

“I know that…” Kyle slurred. “That you’ll make me proud…”

And then it was over. Before the eyes of Simon and the others, Kyle Colt passed away.

bushwacka666

04-23-2005, 09:23 AM

It's finally time for the new team to morph into action! But can they succeed in their first fight? And just what dangers still await them?

Time Ranger

04-23-2005, 01:07 PM

It's Good to see Steven again. The new Rangers will have a tough task ahead of them. Can't wait for More. Peace God Bless

Jacen

04-24-2005, 07:03 PM

Hey Bush, Remember me from PRN?

Anyway, nice story so far. Pretty sad what happened to Kyle, but its cool. :023:

HurricaneNinja

04-25-2005, 04:19 AM

Awesome start Bush it is good to see you writing again.Very sad about kyle i was starting to like him and i was hoping him and simon whould have alot of moments.I have been a fan from day one of your fics and i will continue to read them.

bushwacka666

04-25-2005, 12:56 PM

I'm really glad you liked that chapter guys. Yeah Kyle had a sad exit there, but I was trying to misdirect readers on who the Red Ranger would turn out to be in the end. I think it worked. Plus, I wanted to show the general Blaze as a real human-hating killer. A sword being shoved through the back and bursting through the other end - there's something you'd never see on the show!

But what this all means is that you can look forward to some tension between Simon and Blaze. Every cause has an effect, as The Matrix Reloaded states.

Jacen

04-25-2005, 01:24 PM

but I was trying to misdirect readers on who the Red Ranger would turn out to be in the end. I think it worked.
I did work. I never saw that coming.
I can't wait for the next one...

bushwacka666

04-29-2005, 06:27 AM

“Kyle?” Simon tried futilely, but to no avail – his best friend was dead.

From the side, the teens could hear screeches of laughter. They looked over to see the twin heads of the Technicals cackling away at the humans’ misfortune.

“That was brilliant!” Screech exclaimed.

“You should just give up now” added Squawk.

Slowly, Simon got to his feet. He was extremely angry!

“That’s it, I’ve had enough! You guys are going down, and you’re going down hard! I’m going to make sure of it!”

“We’re all going to make sure of it!” added Jack, as he and the others came up beside Simon.

“I guess you’re in charge now, Simon” Amy told him. “What do you want us to do?”

Simon took a deep breath: “Let’s morph.”

The others nodded their agreement, and together, they placed their fingers onto the Ultra Morphers, and announced the command that would change their lives forever…

“Ultra-Op, Engage!”

The Technicals and the Reptolites looked on as bright flashes of light erupted from across the park. When the lights faded, the morphed figures stood, the latest incarnation of the planet’s defenders.

“Whoa!” exclaimed Jessica, examining her suit. “This is awesome!”

“So, Rangers huh?” asked Squawk.

“That’s right pal, and we’re ready” replied Jack. “Green Ultrastar Ranger!”

“Let’s do this” added Amy. “Pink Ultrastar Ranger!”

“I’m with you.” Jessica chimed in. “Yellow Ultrastar Ranger!”

“Um, guys? Slight problem…”

Amy, Jessica and Jack turned. Beside them, Andrew and Simon stood, still in their civilian form.

“What happened?” Amy asked them. “Why didn’t you morph?”

“I don’t know” replied Andrew.

“You guys hold them off” Simon told them. “We’ll hang back and try to figure out what went wrong.”

“Right!” the morphed trio agreed, and quickly advanced on the Reptolites.

Jack was the first to move in, putting his elite martial arts skills to good use. This time, however, he knew that he had just become even better! From the very first flying kick that he performed on a Reptolite, he felt a surge of power rush through him, unlike anything he had experienced before. Realising he could get used to his new role as the Green Ranger, he fended off more of the soldiers with a swift kick combo, before punching two more in the chests and knocking another off its feet with a leg sweep.

Amy was also handling her own just fine. She might have given up on any kind of sport or competition, but that didn’t mean she still couldn’t put her gymnastics training to good use. A few fast back-flips gave her the space she needed to take a run up and somersault into a hard kick to a pair of Reptolites, made much easier by her newly morphed state. The Pink Ranger continued to execute some kicks with impressively high reach, making contact with the soldiers’ heads.

“Jessica, go for the heads” she called over. “They seem to be weaker there.”

The Yellow Ranger didn’t need telling twice – she figured she’d need all the advantage she could get! Doing a cartwheel to manoeuvre herself into a better position, she quickly slammed a fist into the side of one of her attacker’s heads. Another moved in, but she was ready, spinning sideways at the last second and delivering a solid chop to the neck. As another Reptolite charged, Jessica moved into another cartwheel, her feet slamming the soldier’s jaw as they came up.

Meanwhile, the other two guys were still trying to figure out why they hadn’t morphed with the rest. They had tried it again, but to no avail. Just then, a voice emitted from their Ultra Morphers:

“Having some trouble, fellas?” asked Katrina.

“Katrina?” asked Andrew. “What’s going on?”

“The Morphers were programmed with each recruit’s fingerprints, remember? They won’t work for anyone else. Obviously I know Simon isn’t the intended user, but if it won’t work for you, Mr Butler, that must mean you’re not who we thought you were!”

Andrew sighed: “Okay fine, I’m not who you want. You were after Adrian, I’m his brother Andrew. But there’s not a lot we can do about it now.”

“Well there is” replied Katrina. “We just find your brother and replace you with him.”

Andrew felt a little depressed upon hearing that: being replaced by his older brother was no new experience to him. One time too many had his parents shown only mild interest in his achievements, and then quickly forgot about them completely once Adrian came into the picture. Constantly living in his sibling’s shadow was not an enjoyable existence.

“Listen,” Simon spoke into his Morpher, “this is an emergency. There’s no time to get Andrew’s brother down here.”

“Simon’s right” Andrew agreed. “These lizard creeps are all over the place. If we can’t morph now, we’re going to go the same way that Kyle did!”

Simon winced slightly: this wasn’t going to be an easy pain to live with.

A sigh of defeat from Katrina could be heard through the Morphers. She guessed they had a point. Ideally, she should have consulted this matter with Steven first, but he was down in the Vault, and the last thing she wanted to do was disturb him. No, she needed to make this decision herself, and she needed to make it now.

“Alright,” she conceded, “I’ll take care of it. Your fingerprints were scanned when you tried to transform, so we’ve got them in the database. I need some time to reprogram the Morphers by remote.”

“How long is that going to take?” asked Andrew.

Just then, a group of Reptolites leapt through the air and landed in front of them, knowing they had the humans cornered now.

“It’d better not be too long…” murmured Simon.

*

On board his ship, Lizzax glanced at the main viewing screen, his eyes wide in surprise: Power Rangers. A team of multi-coloured superheroes dedicated to the protection of their world and way of life. They were here, and they were already interfering with his plans!

Lord Lizzax was not ignorant or naïve. He had known perfectly well that Earth was the home to an unusually high amount of Rangers, and that it would provide a small potential hurdle in his search for the Hydra’s Teeth. But he had assumed that these Rangers would have been occupied with their respective enemies, and he hadn’t detected any of these spandex-clad pests active in Water Rose City, where the first Tooth had been discovered.

And yet here they were. A Ranger team already causing him problems. Skilled they might be, but he would not back down so easily. He would crush these foolish humans, and indeed anybody that dared to stand in his way. Nothing would be more powerful than him, nothing.

These Rangers might make the competition a little harder, but the ultimate prize would be worth it.

*

Back in the park, Simon and Andrew were trying their best to fend off the Reptolites, in order to buy as much time as possible for Katrina to reprogram their Morphers. Andrew kicked a couple of his attackers in the side, then used a leg-sweep to send them to the ground.

Simon was faced with the larger number of opponents. Truth be told, he was a little scared, after witnessing what happened to Kyle… But now was not the time to get distracted, he had to deal with these freaks. As several of them began to advance, Simon withdrew his Silver Guardian blaster and opened fire. Unfortunately his shots missed their targets completely.

Simon sighed in frustration: his aiming had always sucked, especially when compared to Kyle’s pinpoint accuracy! It’s a wonder he passed Guardian training at all! Luckily, his martial arts skills were more up to scratch, and he was able to execute a swift combo of kicks to fight the soldiers. It was only thanks to being at point-blank range that Simon finally managed to fire off a shot that a Reptolite couldn’t avoid.

It was not much help: these Reptolites were still getting the better of them. Simon and Andrew had doubts as to just how long they could hold out.

*

Meanwhile, in the secret Ultrastar HQ, Katrina tapped away frantically at a keyboard, working as fast as she could to alter the settings on the fingerprint scanners of the Ultra Morphers. Glancing over to a view screen, she could see the trouble that Simon and Andrew were in. She had to work fast.

“Come on, come on!” she told herself. “Just a few more seconds…”

Just then, Steven stepped up beside her.

“Katrina, what are you doing?” he asked her.

“Trying to reprogram the Red and Blue Ultra Morphers sir” Katrina replied, her concentration still focused on the computer in front of her.

“Why?”

“Long story, but two of our recruits weren’t the original choices we made. I’d be happy to fill you in later sir, but right now it’s an emergency.”

“Alright, do what you’ve got to do” Steven permitted her.

“Yes, I got it!” Katrina cheered in celebration. She quickly opened a communication channel.

*

“Guys, I did it” her voice came through the Morphers. “Go for it!”

“Right” answered Simon. He and Andrew wasted no time in slotting their fingers into the Ultra Morphers, and announcing the command:

“Ultra-Op, Engage!”

In a flash of light, the duo finally morphed into their new suits, joining their three team-mates in the action.

“Alright, it worked!” cheered Andrew. “Blue Ultrastar Ranger!”

“Now let’s take care of business!” added Simon. “Red Ultrastar Ranger!”

Swiftly the pair advanced, now going on the offensive against the Reptolites and putting their enhanced strength to good use. Using rapid combinations of kicks and punches, they were able to beat the soldiers back.

All five Rangers regrouped, now only a few Reptolites remaining on the scene. Deciding to fix that, the team knew what to do.

“Ultra Blasters!” they announced, withdrawing pistol weapons from their belt holsters and firing off strong lasers of colour. The Reptolites were swiftly taken down.

Meanwhile, several feet away, the Technicals had diverted their attention away from the fight, instead supervising the Dentist. The drilling machine was now busy boring its way through the ground. It had detected its objective, and was now on its way to getting it.

“Hey!” Simon called out, noticing the Dentist digging its way down. “Cut that out!”

Taking careful aim towards the Dentist, Simon fired several shots from his Ultra Blaster – but of course he had no chance of hitting his target from that distance! The lasers sailed harmlessly past, missing by a great distance, but they were enough to attract the Technicals’ attention. They turned their long necks towards the Rangers, laughing at the failed attempt.

“I think you need some more practice with that thing, Red Ranger” chuckled Screech.

“Yeah” Squawk chimed in. “We’re over here, Eagle Eye!”

Simon growled in frustration – he should’ve known he would miss.

“Guys, do it!” he told the others.

“Right!” they replied in unison. Firing their own Ultra Blasters, their aim proved more accurate. The Dentist had no chance from four simultaneous lasers, promptly breaking apart and crashing to the ground, destroyed.

“Alright, nice job” Jack congratulated the others.

“Yeah, that was pretty impressive” Squawk agreed. “Too bad for you that it happened too late.”

With that, the Technicals reached one arm down into the hole where the Dentist’s drill had been. Moments later, and they lifted out a Hydra’s Tooth – a shimmering orange crystal that glowed a seemingly living light.

“We have the Tooth that we came for” announced Screech. “Our Lord has begun his journey to victory!”

“Rangers,” came a sudden voice from their Ultra Morphers, “this is General Bennet. Listen to me, you must get a hold of that Tooth. That’s an order!”

“He’s right” said Jessica. “Every Tooth that Lizzax gets is another one to power up that weapon of his.”

“Rangers, we’ve also got another problem” Steven informed them. “Lizzax’s general Blaze has appeared in the city, driving some kind of vehicle. He must be stopped before he can begin an attack. You’ll have to split up.”

“I’m going after Blaze” Simon immediately decided. “He’s going to pay for what he did! The rest of you get that Hydra’s Tooth.”

“Wait, I’m coming with you” Jack spoke up.

“No, this is personal. Blaze is mine!”

“Listen Simon, I know you want to avenge Kyle’s death, but this Blaze guy and his vehicle might be too tough for just one person. If you’re going after him, you’re taking some backup – and I’m it!”

Simon thought about it for a moment. Perhaps Jack had a point. The Red Ranger nodded his head in agreement:

“Alright, Jack and I will go to the city. Can the rest of you handle things here?”

“No problem” replied Amy. “We’re all over it.”

“Okay then, let’s go.”

*

Mere minutes later, and Simon and Jack arrived in the city centre. Immediately they came face to face with their new challenge: a reasonably large tank-like vehicle, gleaming silver in colour with a raging flame design painted over it, stretching from the front and trailing backwards as if the vehicle itself was ablaze. The tracked wheels trundled noisily along, and a long gun barrel extended from the turret.

“Whoa, impressive wheels” said Jack.

“Blaze!” Simon called out in anger. The general’s attention was easily gained. Flipping a switch on his controls, he activated a loudspeaker outside the vehicle so he could be heard:

“Well, if it isn’t two of the new Rangers on the block” he began. “Come here to get revenge for the death of your friend?” He let a chuckle, recalling just how amusing it had been for him to force his sword through the human’s body.

“You’re gonna wish you never messed with us pal!” threatened Jack.

“You may wish to stop me, but my Flame Tank will prove too much for you.”

Suddenly, the Flame Tank fired off a large laser bolt from its turret. Simon and Jack dived to the side and just avoided the blast. However, the bolt struck a thick tree and effortlessly knocked it down. It landed straight on top of a nearby car, utterly crushing it under the weight.

“Man, that’s one hell of a gun!” Jack exclaimed.

“We’ve got to stop that thing before it blasts the whole city to bits!” Simon told his team-mate.

“But how? I mean, how can two guys on foot stop a tank like that?”

From the driving seat, Blaze laughed: “You don’t stop the tank, Rangers. The tank stops you!”

This time, the Flame Tank’s turret emitted a large stream of fire. This was too quick for the Rangers to dodge, and they were struck and grounded with ease. The Flame Tank continued to trundle through the city, torching more trees and cars along the way.

“I will lay this entire city to waste,” Blaze announced, “and that will only be the beginning!”

“No, he’s getting away!” cried Simon, struggling back to his feet. “Come on, we’ve got to go after him!”

“Wait!” Jack cut in, also trying to stand. “That thing is way too strong, we can’t just rush into it.”

“That guy killed Kyle! Literally killed him! He’s going to pay!”

With a cry of rage, Simon began to charge after the Flame Tank. Raising up his Ultra Blaster, he fired off a few shots. But of course they missed – the Red Ranger’s blind fury combined with the fact that he was trying to run and shoot at the same time, means that he couldn’t even hit a target as large as that.

Jack, meanwhile, raised up his Ultra Morpher and pressed the communication button: “Hey, is anyone there?”

“This is Katrina,” came the reply, “I read you Jack.”

“Katrina, that Flame Tank is pretty tough. Any ideas on how we can stop it?”

“At the moment, no. I’ve got the computer scanning it for any weak spots now, but it’ll take a little time before it comes up with anything – if it even can.”

“So what, we’ve just got to hold out for a bit?” asked the Green Ranger.

“Sorry, I’m doing everything I can. I’ll get back to you.”

Jack closed the communication channel, then ran to catch up with Simon and the Flame Tank. He also fired his Ultra Blaster, and luckily he was a better aim than Simon. Unluckily the pistol was completely ineffective against the Flame Tank’s heavy armour, unable to cause even a scratch.

“Useless!” Blaze chuckled. “Give it up, you fools! You can’t stop me!”

The Flame Tank let out another napalm stream, striking down the helpless pair once more.

*

Back at the park, the other three Rangers were having little trouble with their task. A few more Reptolites had been called in, but the trio had quickly been able to beat them back, using their Ultra Blasters to makes things easier. The Technicals still had possession of the Hydra’s Tooth, but without sufficient support, they were left defenceless.

Jessica fended off the last two remaining soldiers, grabbing one and pulling it round into the other, literally knocking their heads together. As the heads seemed to be their weakest point, the force caused them both to collapse. Andrew now came up beside his yellow counterpart, aimed his Ultra Blaster and fired.

“OUCH!” Squawk and Screech yelled out in unison as the laser hit the arm holding the Hydra’s Tooth. The reflex caused the arm to jerk, sending the Tooth hurtling through the air.

“Oh no!” cried Jessica. “We’ve got to get to it.”

“I’m already there!” announced Amy, taking a quick run-up before moving fluidly into three flips and then going airborne. The Pink Ranger’s gymnastic skills proved their worth as she reached the Tooth mid-air and caught it. She made a perfect landing back on the ground, the orange crystal secure in her grip.

“Yeah!” Andrew and Jessica cheered. “Good job Amy!”

“No sweat” replied Amy.

“The Hydra’s Tooth!” wailed Screech. “We lost it!”

“And now we’re going to take care of you two” Andrew warned them, aiming his Ultra Blaster again.

“You may have won the first fight, Rangers,” snarled Squawk, “but you won’t be so lucky next time!”

With that, the Technicals teleported away, leaving the three Rangers victorious.

*

Once more, Simon and Andrew clambered back to their feet, having been struck down again by the Flame Tank’s fire stream. They had to admit it: they weren’t any closer to stopping this thing.

“We’ve got to shut it down!” Simon exclaimed. “I’m not going to let Blaze get away with this!”

“Katrina,” Jack called into his Morpher, “got any good news?”

“As a matter a fact I do” replied Katrina. “The scan’s complete and we’ve detected a weak spot in the Flame Tank – but it won’t be easy to hit!”

“Where is it?” asked Simon.

“A little hole, located just under the turret. It leads directly to the Flame Tank’s fuel supply. Land a direct laser shot straight into that hole, and the tank should just fall apart.”

“Alright then, let’s go” announced Jack. Together, he and Simon begun running again towards the Flame Tank. After a few moments of searching, they managed to spot the hole in question.

“There it is” Simon pointed out. “Man, that hole really is little! Jack, think you can hit it?”

“Only one way to find out” Jack replied. Taking careful aim, he fired a shot from his Ultra Blaster. Unfortunately the shot struck just outside of the hole.

“No go” he sighed. “That’s one tiny target.”

Simon sighed as well: had Kyle been here, he would’ve been able to hit this target easily – his accuracy was unrivalled! But Simon was the complete opposite – he couldn’t shoot to save his life! It looked like he would have to rely on Jack for this one, and just pray that he could hit the mark.

“Alright, that’s it” Blaze announced from his driving seat. “I’ve had enough playing around – time to get serious!”

Blaze adjusted his controls, rotating the Flame Tank’s turret around to a certain position. Then, he fired a laser bolt…

“ARGH!” cried Jack, struck full force from the blast. He flew back and collapsed to the ground, promptly de-morphing from the strain. His now exposed face expressed his pain through gritted teeth.

“Jack!” Simon called out, and started to run back to his fallen team-mate…

“No, keep going!” Jack stopped him. “I’m fine. You’ll have to take the shot.”

“What are you talking about? I can’t hit that thing!”

“You have to! You’re the only one left – it’s all up to you!”

“Are you crazy?” Simon still protested. “Look, I’m not Kyle. There was a reason why he was chosen for this job instead of me. Ultrastar recruited Kyle because he was a crack shot – but I’m a crap shot! I’m telling you, there’s no way I can hit that thing!”

“Oh Red Ranger…” called out Blaze. “Think fast!”

Simon turned around to see another laser bolt coming his way. Quickly he rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the blast. It was then that he realised he had to try and take the shot. He figured things couldn’t get any worse, and he couldn’t avoid the Flame Tank’s turret forever.

Taking a run-up followed by a mighty leap, Simon landed on the Flame Tank, his Ultra Blaster in hand. The vehicle’s weak spot was directly above him, but still high up. Simon had his doubts: there had been much easier targets than this that he had never been able to hit! But he had to try, for Kyle if nobody else. His best friend had been murdered in the prime of his life, but he would live on somehow, Simon felt obligated to make sure of that.

As Simon drew a deep breath, and took careful concentrated aim, he remembered the last words that Kyle had spoken to him:

“I know that you’ll make me proud…”

Simon fired…

…and succeeded!

The laser shot streaked straight into the hole, striking the fuel source inside. Immediately a chain reaction of explosions began to ripple throughout the innards of the Flame Tank. Simon couldn’t believe his luck, but didn’t have time to go into shock. He swiftly jumped off the tank and started running.

In the driving seat, Blaze frantically fiddled with several switches, hoping to get the situation under control, but with no luck.

“No, I don’t believe it!” he roared. “I’ll be back, Red Ranger, and you’ll pay for this outrage! Mark my words!”

Blaze teleported out of the Flame Tank to safety. Just in time too, as the Flame Tank suddenly exploded into a large ball of fire, pieces of the armour sent flying through the air.

“Yes!” cheered Jack. “Way to go man, I knew you could do it!”

Simon admired his handiwork. He gave a nod and a satisfied sigh:

“That was for you, Kyle.”

*

On board his ship, Lord Lizzax was fuming. The brunt of his anger was falling on the Technicals, for failing to retrieve the Hydra’s Tooth. His eyes were currently coloured a solid red, symbolising his rage.

“You idiots!” he roared. “You had that Tooth right in your hands, and you let those Rangers just take it from you!”

Squawk protested: “To be fair sir, we didn’t exactly let them…”

“Silence! How dare you speak back to me, you fool!”

Screech couldn’t help but laugh at her Siamese twin: “Squawk got in trouble, Squawk got in trouble!”

Squawk’s head turned and angrily pecked away at Screech’s neck. Screech just leaned out of reach and continued to taunt him.

“ENOUGH!” Lizzax bellowed. Raising his arms, he fired off two powerful electrical beams, striking the Technicals and knocking them clear across the room.

“Get out of my sight, the pair of you!” he snapped. “I do not wish to be reminded of your existence until I next call for you!”

The Technicals would have replied, but they were too weak to! All they could do was merely crawl out of the way.

“My Lord, there is no argument that the Technicals failed you” Blaze spoke up. “But you must bear in mind that it was just one Hydra’s Tooth. There are many more out there, and when you look at the big picture, this failure is virtually insignificant.”

“You may be correct Blaze, but this fact does little to calm me. If the Technicals failed me once, they could very well do so again.”

“Then you will have to rely on someone else for future searches.”

“Yes, I suppose I will. But rest assured Blaze, no matter what, the Hydra’s Teeth will be mine!”

*

In Steven’s office in the Ultrastar HQ, General Bennet himself sat at his desk, Katrina standing by his side. In front of them stood the five heroes, the latest additions to the eternal legacy.

“Well,” Steven began, “congratulations are in order. You fought with courage, skill and determination.”

“And it’s thanks to the five of you that we obtained the first detected Hydra’s Tooth” Katrina added. “It means that Lizzax has not yet been able to begin collecting the power needed for his weapon. We’re off to a good start.”

“Yes, but keep in mind that it’s exactly that – the start” Steven told them. “There’s still many more of those crystals around. There could be any number of them, and they could be anywhere. The battle will be tough, but I’ve got a feeling that the five of you are up to the challenge.”

In the few moments of silence that followed, both Steven and Katrina noticed the expression of disbelief on Andrew’s face. Katrina chuckled:

“Yes Andrew, you’re staying. You might not be the one we originally chose, but the General feels you’ve earned yourself a chance.”

Andrew smiled and nodded his gratitude: “Thank you sir, I won’t let you down.”

“And me sir?” Simon spoke up.

Steven gave a little smile: “Simon, I won’t lie to you: there are things you’ve still got to learn, but I think you’ve also proved your potential. So you’re keeping your position as well – provided, of course, you feel you can handle it…”

“I’ll do my very best sir.”

“That’s all you can do.”

“I have to ask,” Amy now said, “have these new powers of ours got some extra stuff standing by?”

“Yeah” Jessica chimed in. “I mean, with just suits and Ultra Blasters, I think we were pretty lucky this time.”

“Don’t worry,” Steven assured them, “Katrina and her team have really been pulling out all the stops with Ultrastar’s Ranger project. When the time calls for it, new technologies will be revealed to you.”

Katrina grinned: “Hold on to your helmets!”

“We’ll look forward to it” Jack chuckled in reply.

“Well, that’s it for now” Steven announced. “Dismissed.”

The five Rangers gave a salute (as Katrina had advised them to do). Jack; Amy; Andrew and Jessica then headed out of the office. Katrina also excused herself and left. Simon, however, remained with Steven.

“Something else I can do for you, Simon?” Steven asked him.

“Actually sir, I’d like to request a few days of absence, providing of course that there’s no big emergency.”

“May I ask for a reason?”

Simon took a few moments to clear his throat – an obvious sign that he was trying to force back a tear.

“The Silver Guardians will be having a… a memorial service for Kyle. I’d like to be there.”

Steven nodded: “I understand, it’s never easy to lose someone you care about. Request granted.”

“Thank you sir.”

“No problem, take as much time as you need. But do remember that you’re the Red Ultrastar Ranger now, the leader of the team. If Lizzax launches an attack, you’ll have to be ready.”

“I will be sir. The Red Ranger position was originally reserved for Kyle, but he chose me to take his place. I’m not going to let him down.”

“I know you won’t. Give my condolences to Wes and Eric as well.”

Simon decided to leave the conversation there. He gave another salute and headed for the door…

“Simon?” Steven suddenly called out.

“Yes sir?” asked Simon, turning back around.

“Keep in mind what I said: the potential is there. Make sure you use it.”

Simon left the office, leaving Steven sitting alone. The commander of Ultrastar let out a sigh: his Ranger-related adventures had begun again. But this was a new experience altogether – the role of mentor. So far things were going well, his new Rangers winning their first victory, and obtaining the first Hydra’s Tooth. This was a new challenge…

Steven prayed that it would bring new rewards.

bushwacka666

04-29-2005, 06:29 AM

As Lord Lizzax sends down his first monster to Water Rose City, the Rangers have no choice but to defend their home. Can Ultrastar provide our heroes with the means to stop the attack?

bushwacka666

04-29-2005, 10:03 AM

- Ranger profiles now updated. Steven & Katrina profiles added.

- Ultrastar Rangers team pic now added to "Op Files" section.

Zord_Crazy

04-29-2005, 06:16 PM

Cool ep, BW! Wonder if Adrian is going to go all "Dark Side" when he finds out about his brother??

Time Ranger

04-29-2005, 06:59 PM

Good Stuff Bush. It's good to see The Rangers in action. It will be cool to see what will hapen next. Hope to see More. Peace God Bless

bushwacka666

04-30-2005, 05:35 AM

Hello all. :) Again, thanks for your comments. Yes I'm glad the Rangers are finally up and running, so to speak. As you may have guessed from the "Next time" teaser, the next chapter will bring in some new gear - specifically the weapons and Zords. But it won't be until Chapter 10 when the "unique feature" of this team comes into play.

As for Adrian going "Dark Side" as Z_C so wonderfully puts it, ;) well I can say there'll be a chapter with some tension between the brothers. But Adrian never knew that he was the original recruit for the Blue Ranger powers, and Andrew won't tell him.

Well 3 chapters in, and I'm busy writing Chapter 18 now. Doesn't sound that far along, I know, but this fic is really going to take some time.

Time Ranger

04-30-2005, 03:29 PM

Just a Question Bush will you be having a Team Up of Some Sorts. Peace God Bless

bushwacka666

05-01-2005, 04:46 AM

Ah now that would be telling, wouldn't it... ;)

thunderblade

05-01-2005, 09:29 AM

Great ep! I really like the distinction between Kyle and Simon in terms of marksmanship; it gives the story some emotional strength what with Simon's desire to be like Kyle...yeah. :rolleyes:

Jacen

05-01-2005, 11:22 AM

Great chapter bush

"A little hole, located just under the turret. It leads directly to the Flame Tank's fuel supply. Land a direct laser shot straight into that hole, and the tank should just fall apart."

Any one smell Death Star? :) :) Again, Great chapter.

bushwacka666

05-01-2005, 03:13 PM

Ah, my Star Wars inspiration was rumbled... ;)

Oh and thunderblade: thanks for the comment, glad you like the Simon/Kyle thing. I'll be picking up on it again in Chapter 5.

Jacen

05-02-2005, 05:49 AM

Ah, my Star Wars inspiration was rumbled... ;)

Didn't you know that I'm a Star Wars freak? *grins* My username is based it :D

dairy ranger

05-05-2005, 03:00 PM

NO WAY! THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GO ON HOLIDAY AND COME BACK TO EXAMS!!!NOT TO WORRY bushwacka666 i will catch up on story tomorrow but for now must watch Little Britain!

I imagine there will be romance, all good stories have romance, since you like to keep your stories hidden till the right time could you atleast tell me if there is romance and if it is between Steven and another girl?

bushwacka666

05-06-2005, 04:27 AM

ROFL!! :D

dairy ranger: welcome back m8, good to see you around these parts again. Sorry to leave you falling behind on everything - only 3 chapters and already a fair bit to read through. Well hey I'd appreciate your feedback as always, but take your time with it m8. "Special Ops" will be around for a while.

Romance? Yes of course I'll have that - I never write a fic without it! :023: But... Steven? Another girl? Perish the thought! Strangely though, nobody's wondered where Tara's got to...

Jacen

05-07-2005, 01:33 AM

ROFL!! :D
Romance? Yes of course I'll have that - I never write a fic without it! :023: But... Steven? Another girl? Perish the thought! Strangely though, nobody's wondered where Tara's got to...
... Now that you mention it, what did happen to the other rangers from FOTZ?

bushwacka666

05-07-2005, 05:26 AM

Well mostly just gone their separate ways since FOTZ ended - remember they all came from different parts of the world. Chapter 2 has Steven briefly reminiscing about them, in case you missed it.

bushwacka666

05-08-2005, 06:27 AM

A new day in Water Rose City, in fact the next day after the first fight for the latest Ranger team to go active. Currently, Simon was the only one not in the city. Instead, he was back in Silver Hills for his best friend’s memorial service. Kyle had been a good young man, who had simply not deserved a death such as the one he received. Simon had been chosen to take his place as the Red Ultrastar Ranger, and he therefore considered it his duty to carry on as Kyle would have, displaying the same courage and determination that he been in constant admiration of over the years.

As for the other four Rangers, they were hanging out together in Fire-Wire, the Internet Café. This was pretty much the first time they had the chance to really get to know each other since meeting. Although perhaps only on a subconscious level, they knew it was a good idea. If they were going to be on the same team, they would have to be able to trust in each other.

Jessica currently sat at one of the computer terminals, her fingers busy tapping away. Amy sat next to her, watching the screen, her eyebrows raised in an impressed manner.

“So, when you said hacking, you meant hacking.”

“Yep” replied Jessica with a slight grin on her face.

“Not that I’m going to judge you or anything, but you do realise it’s all illegal, right?”

“Yeah I know, but I guess that’s where the excitement comes from. Knowing there’s a risk like that, it’s sort of a buzz.”

“Well I can’t say I’m an expert at breaking the law, but I know what an adrenaline rush feels like.”

“Oh right,” realised Jessica, “how could I forget? Amy Green, dubbed the USA’s best hope for the gymnastics at the last Olympics. I’ve got to say, that really sucked when you had to pull out because of that injury.”

“Tell me about it, but it was my own fault.”

Jessica briefly paused from what she was doing to turn towards Amy: “Why would you say that?”

“Because I didn’t make that landing properly. I should have been concentrating harder” replied Amy. She sighed: “I was so stupid!”

“Oh come on, don’t say that.”

“Well I was! Look, I’m sorry Jessica, but I really don’t want to talk about this.”

Conversation was left at that. What now followed was an awkward silence between the girls, neither of them sure what to say anymore.

Sipping on their drinks at the bar, Jack and Andrew looked over at the girls, wide smiles on their faces.

“There is a God!” exclaimed Andrew. “Two babes in close proximity delivered straight to us!”

Jack chuckled: “I must agree, they are both very attractive.”

“I wonder what they’d look like if you could still see their faces but they were wearing those tight Ranger suits?” Andrew paused for a moment to picture the image:

“I’d like to see that” he finally said, another smile on his lips.

“You’ve known them for a rough total of 24 hours, and already you’re obsessed!” laughed Jack.

“Sorry, I guess I am coming off pretty sleazy. I’m not usually like that, honest!”

“No worries. You’re just smart enough to appreciate beauty when it’s around you.”

“Exactly! And to think, it should’ve been my brother.”

“Yeah. You were taking a bit of a gamble there, weren’t you? Letting them think you were actually him?”

“Adrian’s never respected me” Andrew sighed. “There were even times when nobody on Earth could’ve been nicer to him then I was, but he still treated me like I was…” He trailed off, not sure of what comparison to make.

“Treated you like you were what?” pressed Jack.

Andrew pondered for a moment: “Like I was something that just dropped out of a dog’s bottom!”

Jack almost spluttered on his soda, unable to keep himself from laughing.

“Surely it’s not that bad?” he asked.

Andrew chuckled, more due to Jack’s reaction than anything else.

“You don’t know Adrian. I mean, of course I love him – he’s my brother, you know? But he still treats me like a little kid, and it just gets on my nerves. But now I’ve got the chance to prove myself to him, that I can handle a big responsibility. Maybe I was a little deceptive to get here, but I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t feel I had to.”

“Man,” said Jack with a smile, “I’m sure glad I’m an only child!”

It was at that moment that the boy sitting to the side of the bar stood up to leave. Jack and Andrew had one of those feelings about him ever since he had walked in: for a start his choice of clothing just screamed grungy, and he had also entered smoking a cigarette – despite the fact that he was clearly underage and that Fire-Wire was a No Smoking place. Now he was exiting, leaving the wrapper from his earlier burger on the counter, instead of properly disposing of it in the trash can.

The door opened, and an attractive Asian girl with long black hair walked in, a few books clutched under her arms. Unfortunately she could not react quickly enough to the grungy boy trying to leave in a hurry. He collided with her, knocking into her side. The girl stumbled and toppled to the floor, her books clattering around her, prompting a few sniggers from some of the less thoughtful people in the room. The grungy boy hadn’t even given the girl a second glance, simply walking out as if nothing had happened.

The four Rangers, being the kind individuals that they were, quickly sprung up from their seats to assist the girl. While Jack; Amy and Jessica gathered up the scattered books, Andrew extended a hand down to the girl to pull her up. The girl gratefully took it, and was helped back to her feet. She gave an appreciative smile as the others returned her books to her.

“Are you alright?” Andrew asked her.

“Yeah” the girl replied. “Thanks for your help.”

“Oh no worries” Amy told her. “Who did that guy think he was?”

“I know,” Jack agreed, “what a jerk!”

The girl let out a disappointed sigh: “He was probably lying unconscious somewhere when God handed out manners to everyone else.”

Andrew chuckled in amusement. He extended his hand to the girl again: “I’m Andrew.”

“Nikita” replied the girl, reaching round her books to shake hands with Andrew.

“This is Jack; Jessica and Amy” added Andrew as they all walked back over to the bar.

“Hi” Nikita greeted them, setting her books down on the counter before shaking hands with them. “Thanks again guys, I really appreciate it.”

“Our pleasure” Jessica replied. “I hate it when some people just don’t seem to give a damn about anyone or anything else.”

“I hear ya!” added Jack, picking up the burger wrapper from the counter and calmly tossing it into the trash can nearby.

“So Nikita,” Andrew began, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around here before, and I tend to remember quite a few faces.”

“My family just moved here, my dad got relocated.”

“Man, that’s got to suck, having to just get up and leave like that” said Amy.

“Oh not really” Nikita told them. “My old town was dull, just…dull – I can’t even use any interesting words to describe it! I guess I’m hoping things will be a bit more exciting around here.”

“Oh I’m sure they could be at times…” said Jack with a knowing smile. The other Rangers couldn’t help but respond to that smile. They could only imagine what their new occupations would bring.

“Well hey,” Andrew suggested, “if you ever need a tour guide, I’d be glad to show you around.”

“Sure,” replied Nikita, “that sounds like a nice offer. Thanks.”

*

“I may have failed to obtain the first detected Hydra’s Tooth, but there are many more out there. I will find them all, and when I do…”

Blaze turned towards Lizzax: “What about the Ultrastar Rangers, my Lord?”

“Ah yes, the Rangers. Their interference is unfortunate, but hardly a reason to give up the mission.”

“I wasn’t suggesting that, my Lord. But I do believe they need to be taken care of.”

“So do I, Blaze. So do I” Lizzax agreed. “I have the Technicals working on a monster right now. I will never stop searching for the Hydra’s Teeth – that remains the top priority. But between those searches, I’m not just going to sit around wasting time. Eliminating the Rangers will make my task much easier.”

As he said those words, Lizzax’s black eyes began to change colour slightly, showing a hint of bright yellow. For Blaze, this was an obvious sign: Lizzax would enjoy destroying those Rangers!

“My Lord!” called a sudden voice. Both Lizzax and Blaze turned to see the Technicals enter the room. Even now, Blaze found it quite extraordinary, how two separate beings shared one body and managed to cope with it. Although there were still times when their co-operation began to destabilise.

“My Lord,” Squawk continued to announce, “I have readied the monster you requested.”

“We readied it” Screech reminded her other half.

“Good” replied Lizzax. “Send it down to Water Rose City to begin an attack. With any luck, the Rangers will be drawn out.”

Blaze smiled evilly: “Then we can destroy them!”

*

Back at Fire-Wire, the Rangers were happily chatting away with their new friend. Just then, an electronic beeping tone was heard. The four teens glanced down at the Ultra Morphers on their wrists, knowing that they could be needed somewhere.

“What was that?” asked Nikita.

“Uh listen Nikita, we’ve got to go” Jack told her.

“Sorry to just up and leave like this, but it’s pretty important” added Amy.

“Oh sure, no worries. Listen, it was great meeting you guys.”

“Yeah, it was great meeting you too” replied Andrew. “We’ll see you around.”

The Rangers said their goodbyes to Nikita and left the building. Outside, nobody was in the immediate vicinity, allowing Jack to bring up his Morpher and press the communication button:

“Go for Jack.”

“Jack, General Bennet here” came Steven’s voice through the Morpher. “Lizzax has sent down his first monster to the city. We need you to engage it immediately.”

“What about Simon?” asked Jessica. “We can’t just pull him away from the memorial service, can we?”

“He knows his duty. I’ll contact him straight away, and see if he can meet you there.”

“Right.” Jack confirmed. “We’re on our way.”

The four of them snuck round the corner of Fire-Wire, out of sight. Raising up their Ultra Morphers and placing their fingers onto the scanners, they announced the call:

“Ultra-Op, Engage!”

*

In a flash, the Pink; Yellow; Green and Blue Ultrastar Rangers somersaulted onto the scene in downtown Water Rose City. Upon arrival, however, all they saw were a group of Reptolites causing general mayhem.

“Reptolites, but I don’t see any monster” Jessica stated.

“It must be around here somewhere,” replied Jack, “but we can’t worry about that right now. Look.”

Jack pointed towards the Reptolites, noticing that they had spotted the Rangers and were advancing towards them. The Rangers acted quickly, withdrawing their Ultra Blasters and opening fire on the soldiers.

“Remember, aim for the heads” Amy reminded them. “They seem to be weakest there.”

The Rangers did just that. The lasers struck the Reptolites in the heads and, sure enough, they went down with ease.

“Alright, that’s them taken care of” announced Jack. “Now where’s that monster?”

On cue, several electric-like laser beams came in from the side, blasting the ground around the Rangers and knocking them off their feet. Looking over, they saw a figure walk towards them: a dark blue in colour, with glowing orange eyes, red mouth, and a yellow thunderbolt on its chest.

“You had to ask, didn’t you?” Andrew quipped at Jack as the Rangers returned to their feet.

“Rangers, I am Voltron” the monster announced. “Lord Lizzax has ordered me to destroy you. You must not be allowed to interfere with his search for the Hydra’s Teeth.”

“Well if you think you’ve got what it takes, then bring it on!” Jack shot back.

“Gladly…” sneered Voltron, raising his arm and firing another electrical blast. Amy; Jessica and Andrew were grounded again. Jack managed to avoid the attack though, and leapt into action. Diving forward, he fired his Ultra Blaster at the target, landing direct strikes but causing only minimal damage. However this bought the others enough time to recover, and they now too moved in. A few simultaneous Ultra Blaster shots, and Voltron toppled over, although quick to move into a roll and return to his feet.

Voltron fired off another electrical blast, too swift for the Rangers to react. Once more they were knocked down, and this time they lost their grips on the Ultra Blasters, the sidearms clattering to the ground far from their reach.

“My attacks are too strong for you Rangers” snickered Voltron. “How shocking!”

“He’s not wrong actually!” moaned Andrew.

“Yeah, and our Ultra Blasters don’t seem to be having much effect on him” added Jessica.

“Surely we’ve got something extra somewhere” thought Amy. She glanced over her suit, looking for any sign of extra weapon or tool. What she came across was a panel built into her left glove, featuring a currently blank screen on the top. Below that screen, a small round grill was centred in the middle, with a green button to the left, and a red button to the right.

“What’s this thing?” she asked the others. They discovered the same devices on their own gloves, but none of them had any idea as to what they were for.

Just then, their Ultra Morphers beeped. Jack brought his up and pressed the button:

“Go for Jack.”

“Guys, this is Katrina” came the voice of Ultrastar’s technical expert. “Don’t worry about those panels in your gloves, you won’t need them yet.”

“What are they?” Jessica asked her.

“They’re called the Op Drives, but at the moment you don’t have any use for them. Besides, we haven’t even activated them yet. Listen, call for your Ultra Weapons. They should even things up a little.”

“Ultra Weapons, right” replied Jack. He closed the communication and then, with the other Rangers, outstretched their arms:

“Ultra Weapons!” they commanded. Four objects promptly materialised into their hands, their new individual weapons ready for use.

“Ultra Cannon!” announced Amy, holding a large silver cannon weapon with a pink stripe running along each side.

“Ultra Rifle!” cried Jessica, carrying an cannon identical to Amy’s, but with yellow stripes.

“Ultra Staff!” shouted Jack, armed with a long green staff weapon.

“Ultra Sword!” called Andrew, raising up his sword with blue hilt and gleaming silver blade.

“Not bad, Rangers,” Voltron admitted, “but they won’t be enough to stop me.”

“We’ll soon see about that!” retorted Jack. “Let’s go guys!”

The Rangers moved in, Andrew being the first to reach Voltron. He quickly brought his Ultra Sword forward, delivering two strong slashes to the monster. Voltron retaliated by bringing up his arms to try and block Andrew’s attacks. This only worked for a brief time, however, and Andrew was quick to try a different tactic, ducking low and slashing his Ultra Sword across Voltron’s midsection.

Voltron staggered back and turned around – now coming face to face with Jack. Voltron immediately sent a fist forward, but Jack was fully alert, raising his Ultra Staff to block the attack. Jack had obtained plenty of experience with staffs in his life, and he knew exactly how to use his weapon most effectively. He forced Voltron’s arm away before raising up the bottom end of the Ultra Staff to land a low blow. He then turned it horizontal and speared it into Voltron’s shoulder.

The final straw for Voltron came by a quicker but no less damaging attack from Amy and Jessica. Standing beside each other, the two girls aimed their Ultra Cannon and Ultra Rifle and fired, sending out mighty laser fire to blast Voltron down.

“Oh you’re think you’re so tough, Rangers,” Voltron growled, “but I’ll show you who’s in charge around here!”

An angry Voltron raised both arms in the air. The sky rapidly covered over with dark thunderclouds. Mere seconds later, and a large lightning bolt streaked down, striking directly in the middle of the Rangers and sending them flying in all directions, landing again with hard thuds.

“A true electric shock!” Voltron chortled.

“Time for an insulator!” called a sudden voice. Voltron whirled around to see the Red Ultrastar Ranger suddenly arrive on the scene, landing a solid flying kick that sent his opponent stumbling backwards.

“Simon!” called a happy Amy.

“Man, are we glad to see you” added Jack.

“Thanks” replied Simon. “And now, it’s time for me to catch up – Ultra Weapons!”

On command, Simon forearms began to glow brightly. When the glow faded, he wore two translucent red crystal-like gloves over his hands.

“Ultra Gloves!” he declared, running towards Voltron again, quickly sending a forceful punch into the monster’s shoulder. The Ultra Gloves had significantly increased Simon’s punching power, and he made good use of it, delivering more blows.

As Voltron tried to recover, all five Rangers regrouped, ready for another round.

“Okay guys,” Simon ordered the others, “Ultra Weapons, combine!”

They couldn’t explain it, but somehow, the Rangers knew what they were doing. The bottom halves of the Ultra Cannon and Ultra Rifle magically faded away, and Amy and Jessica could now connect them together to form one big barrel. Next, whilst Andrew placed the Ultra Sword inside this barrel, Jack drove the Ultra Staff through the back, somehow able to pass through one end and appear out the other. Finally, the Ultra Gloves flew off of Simon’s hands and gripped themselves onto the Ultra Staff.

“Ultrastar Launcher!” the team announced, taking position with the new weapon. Jack and Andrew crouched down, supporting the barrel on their shoulders. Amy and Jessica held the ends of the rear bar (the Ultra Staff). Simon stood in between them, sliding his hands back into the Ultra Gloves and gaining control.

“Time to short-circuit this freak!” announced Amy.

“I couldn’t agree more” replied Simon. “Fire!”

The Ultrastar Launcher began to hum, building up power. Then, an energised Ultra Sword flew out of the barrel, launched like a missile. The glowing blade landed a direct hit, immediately creating the explosion that signified Voltron’s destruction. The Rangers cheered in celebration as they lowered the Ultrastar Launcher.

*

On board his ship, Lizzax witnessed Voltron’s defeat through the viewing screen. The evil reptile-like creature looked on with his glaring eyes, currently coloured red to emphasise his anger.

“Voltron has failed” stated Blaze. “Please, my Lord, allow me to go down there and teach the Rangers a lesson.”

“No,” Lizzax replied, “your time would be better spent tracking down more of the Hydra’s Teeth. Send down the Technicals, they know what to do.”

“As you wish, my Lord.”

*

Back in the city, a flash of light signalled the Technicals arrival on the battle scene. The Rangers immediately noticed them lurking about, and were wary of what could happen. As far as they knew, the Technicals were not fighters, but perhaps they had some other hidden talents.

“Hey, what are you two doing here?” Simon called out.

“You haven’t won yet Rangers” replied Screech.

“Your problems are about to get a lot bigger!” added Squawk.

The Technicals turned to face the spot where Voltron had been destroyed, and Squawk spoke first:

“One scream to bring back the deceased…”

“…one scream to make his size increase!” finished Screech.

Then, they both opened their beaks and let out a synchronised scream, forcing the Rangers to clutch the sides of their helmets in an attempt to cover their ears. Visible sound waves travelled through the air, penetrating into the ground where the monster had stood. Magically, the figure of Voltron reappeared, and then grew to giant size. The Rangers unconsciously took a step back as they witnessed the sight before them.

“Talk about high voltage!” laughed Voltron.

“Oh, that’s just great…” muttered Amy as she stared up at the huge monster.

Simon raised up his Ultra Morpher and pressed the communication button: “Anybody there? We could use some help.”

“We could use some Zords!” added Andrew, fully aware of the method that almost every Ranger team employed in situations such as this.

“Don’t worry guys, we’ve got you covered” came Katrina’s reply. “When you call for the Ultrastar Zords, you’ll have all the help you need.”

“Right” replied Jack. “Let’s call them in.”

“Wait” Katrina interrupted them. “First you’ve got to call for the Rhino Carrier. The Ultrastar Zords will be in there standing by.”

Simon closed the communication channel, knowing what they had to do.

“So are you Rangers going to do anything?” Voltron called down to them. “Or do I have to make the first move?”

With that, he pointed a finger down towards them, which began to glow with an electrical charge.

“Guys, watch out!” Jessica warned them. The warning wasn’t necessary, however, as the Rangers were already making a run for it. A large electric bolt left Voltron’s finger and streaked down to the ground. It missed the Rangers directly, but the resulting explosion sent them flying through the air.

“Okay, that’s an experience I’d rather not repeat any time soon…” moaned Andrew as they struggled back to their feet.

“I agree” Simon told him. “It’s time to fight fire with fire – Rhino Carrier, online!”

At first, nothing. Then suddenly, a thunderous rumble came quickly into earshot. The Rangers turned and gasped in awe: a huge tank-like Zord styled like a rhino. Black in colour, its tracks allowed rapid movement through the streets, whilst a pair of red eyes glowed brightly.

“Whoa, check it out!” Jack exclaimed.

“Amazing!” Amy had to agree.

“Rhino Carrier, fire!” Simon ordered. On command, the Rhino Carrier opened its mouth and fired out several laser bolts, striking Voltron and causing him to stagger back.

“Very cool,” Jessica told the others, “but we’ve got to get to our own Zords.”

“Right,” replied Simon, “let’s go!”

Simon made a Ranger-powered leap up to the top of the Rhino Carrier, the others soon following him. A small round hatch in the top of the Rhino Carrier automatically slid open, allowing the Rangers to dive directly down inside. Moments later, and the Rhino Carrier came to a halt. Then, the back opened up, lowering to form a ramp.

“Lion Ultrastar Zord, power up!” ordered Jack from his individual cockpit. A green and white lion ran out of the Rhino Carrier, down the ramp and to the ground. The other Rangers were not far behind:

“Wolf Ultrastar Zord, power up!” called Amy.
“Shark Ultrastar Zord, power up!” announced Andrew.
“Hawk Ultrastar Zord, power up!” cried Jessica.
“Bear Ultrastar Zord, power up!” finished Simon.

The five Zords wasted no time in advancing towards their targets, the Lion; Wolf and Bear running along the ground, the Shark and Hawk flying above. Voltron eyed his new challenge carefully: just what trickery was this?

“I have always wanted to pilot a Zord!” Jessica practically squealed in excitement. Over the communication system, Amy’s chuckles could be heard:

“I’m pretty excited too Jess, but I think we should try and stay focused here.”

“Andrew, Jessica: give us some air cover” Simon told them. “You should be able to distract him enough for us on the ground to do some effective damage.”

“Right” came the Blue and Yellow Rangers’ joint reply. They steered their Zords into position. Jessica’s Hawk came first, swiftly swooping overhead and firing off a barrage of lasers from the wings to strike Voltron. Andrew’s Shark followed closely, emitting several laser blasts from its mouth. Explosions ruptured all around Voltron, not direct hits but enough to disorientate him.

The other three now took this opportunity to make their own attacks. Jack’s Lion and Amy’s Wolf worked together, firing some lasers from their eyes. These did less damage than Jessica and Andrew’s had, but the fact that Voltron was still reeling meant he was less prepared to defend himself. Forcing himself to concentrate, the monster thrust out an arm and fired an electrical beam towards his attacks. Jack reacted quick, making his Lion jump up and over the blast. Amy did the same, but at the same time made her Wolf leap onto Voltron, knocking him down. Simon took advantage, firing a round of laser blasts from the Bear’s mouth.

“Ready to finish this guys?” Simon asked the others.

“Ready” the other four confirmed.

“Alright then – Ultrastar Zords, combine!”

The five Zords began their automatic combination sequence, the Bear forming the main body, the Lion splitting in half to create the legs, the Wolf and Shark making the arms, and the Hawk forming the head.

“Ultrastar Megazord, power up!” the Rangers announced, taking the controls in their new shared cockpit.

Standing opposite, Voltron chuckled heartily: “So, you think that metal hunk of junk is enough to stop me?”

“Let’s find out!” replied Jack, activating his controls.

The Ultrastar Megazord quickly began to advance. The two giant warriors exchanged a few blows, the Megazord slamming a few fists into Voltron’s chest.

“Alright, we’ve got the upper hand” said Andrew.

“Let’s hit him again” added Amy.

Again the Megazord sent its metal fists forward, Voltron staggering backwards.

“Fire!” Jessica commanded, ordering the Megazord to fire off several laser blasts from its forehead. Voltron let out a painful yell as he was struck.

“Ultra Sabre!” announced Simon, summoning the Megazord’s large silver sword.

“I’m not down yet Rangers” Voltron snarled. “Take this!”

Voltron fired an electrical beam forward, but the Megazord was ready for it. Raising up the Ultra Sabre, it absorbed the energy causing it to flow into the blade. Then with a quick swipe, the Megazord sent Voltron’s own energy right back at him. Unprepared for the reversal of his own power, Voltron was struck full force and severely weakened.

“Ultra Slash!” the Rangers declared in unison. The Megazord sent a combination of five energised slashes straight into Voltron. No fight left in him, the monster collapsed to the ground, exploding in a ball of fire.

While the Rangers cheered, the Megazord raised the Ultra Sabre to the sky in victory.

*

In the Ultrastar headquarters, the Rangers and Katrina stood in Steven’s office getting debriefed.

“You did very well, Rangers” Steven told them. “It looks like we made some good choices in three of you…” He smiled, “…and took some lucky chances with the other two!”

“Thanks sir” replied Simon. “Man that felt good to pilot that Megazord!”

The other Rangers voiced their agreements.

“I’m glad you managed to cope, and it’s only the beginning of what you’ll have at your disposal.”

“What do you mean?” asked Jack. “What else do we have?”

“All will be revealed in time” Katrina answered him. “It’s all related with the Op Drives you saw on your gloves. We haven’t made them active yet, but when the time is right, you’ll be able to use them to give yourselves a real boost!”

“Until the next battle, all you can do is wait it out” Steven told the Rangers. “We’ll need you fully alert for your next assignment. Dismissed.”

The Rangers gave a salute and left the office. Katrina now turned towards Steven:

“You were right sir. I think they are really going to do a great job.”

“Let’s hope so. Just make sure that everything’s ready as and when it’s needed, alright?”

“Of course sir.”

Steven sighed: “Lizzax won’t give up trying his best to get a hold of the Hydra’s Teeth. But we’ll be ready – we have to be!”

bushwacka666

05-08-2005, 06:38 AM

Still affected by the recent death of Kyle, Simon makes it his duty to make his best friend proud. But can he live up to the standards of the original choice for Red Ranger?

bushwacka666

05-08-2005, 06:39 AM

- Ultrastar Rangers info updated in "Op Files" section.

- Ultrastar Zords & Rhino Carrier added to "Zords" section.

HurricaneNinja

05-09-2005, 03:24 AM

Ah bush i love the animal zords.And nice choice of animals too and why do i feel like nikita will play a larger role in this?>.> cant wait for more my bushy friend.

Zord_Crazy

05-09-2005, 12:58 PM

I am sensing that these "Op Drives" are for the Ranger's power-ups, yes/no?

dairy ranger

05-09-2005, 02:03 PM

Nikita...anew person in Water Rose city...same time as the rangers...possibly een more important same time as the villain...hint,hint ;)

bushwacka666

05-09-2005, 04:24 PM

Ah greetings... :)

HurricaneNinja: glad you like the Zords. As for the pics, I majorly suck at drawing, but they should give you the idea.

Zord_Crazy: Your senses guide you well, my friend. But I won't give away the specifics just yet. Stay tuned!

dairy ranger: Hey m8, hope you managed to get caught up. Although to be honest: I'm not entirely sure what you're trying to say about Nikita. Care to elaborate on it?

dairy ranger

05-10-2005, 02:28 PM

Ah greetings... :)

dairy ranger: Hey m8, hope you managed to get caught up. Although to be honest: I'm not entirely sure what you're trying to say about Nikita. Care to elaborate on it?

Basically what i'm trying to say is that she holds a more important part in the story of Special Ops than just a pretty girl Andrew is starting to like.

bushwacka666

05-10-2005, 03:36 PM

Basically what i'm trying to say is that she holds a more important part in the story of Special Ops than just a pretty girl Andrew is starting to like.

Ah I see now. Well, she will show up again in the future, but you'll have to wait and find out about the role she'll play in the Rangers' lives.

Time Ranger

05-10-2005, 05:27 PM

Good Chapter bush. Nice to see the Animal Zords. Hope to See More. Peace God Bless

bushwacka666

05-22-2005, 08:14 AM

Hidden deep inside the Moonbeam hotel, it was business as usual in the secret Ultrastar HQ. Staff bustled around doing whatever needed to be done, Katrina was busy in the lab working on a few things. After all, her job was an important one: when the Rangers needed some extra technology, she and her team were the ones responsible for making it.

At the firing range was Simon, trying out an Ultra Blaster on the targets before him. Unfortunately, as usual, he wasn’t having much luck with it. His shots were a bit wild, not many hitting the target area, and none striking where he wanted them to! In frustration, he practically threw the sidearm to the floor, causing a loud clatter to echo through the room.

“This is hopeless!” he snarled to himself.

“If there’s one thing I learned as a Ranger, it’s to never think that things are hopeless.”

Simon turned around, seeing General Bennet leaning against the far wall. Immediately he gave a salute, the mark of respect that he had to give now he was in the employment of Ultrastar.

Steven let out a chuckle: “At ease, Simon.”

“Um… how long have you been standing there, sir?”

“Long enough” replied Steven, pushing himself away from the wall and making his way over. “I see you’re having a little hiccup in the marksmanship department.”

“More like a complete breakdown!” Simon exclaimed with a weary sigh. “My shooting just plain sucks!”

“Oh come on, I wouldn’t say you’re that bad.”

Simon just shot a disbelieving look at his superior, and then gestured towards the target down the firing range. Steven glanced over, noticing the lack of accuracy in the laser blasts. He thought it best not to say anything, but he gave a little nod – fair enough, the guy had a point!

“How Kyle did it, I’ll never know” muttered Simon.

“Nobody’s saying you have to be like him” Steven told the Ranger. “It’s important to be yourself. If you’re not yourself, you’re not anybody worth knowing.”

“Oh come on! Kyle had amazing accuracy when it came to blasters – nobody else ever came close! You can’t tell me that’s not why you chose him.”

Steven just raised his eyebrows. Simon gave a little nervous gulp:

“Sir” he quickly added.

“Kyle’s aim was unparalleled, and yes, we took that into consideration when recruiting him” Steven agreed. “But by no means was that the only reason he was chosen. He had other qualities – and so do you. You’re not trying to replace him, you’re just trying to be the best you can be.”

“Okay maybe you’ve got a point, maybe I am trying too hard to live up to his standards. But the best I can be still isn’t anything to brag about. I still can’t hit a damn thing!”

“I must challenge that statement – or have you already forgotten about your success in blasting the tiny weak spot on Blaze’s Flame Tank?”

“A lucky fluke, that’s all that was. Or are you one of those mentors who’s going to tell me there’s no such thing as luck?”

Steven smiled in amusement: “I’m no wise and all-knowing alien from another planet. I’m a human, Simon, just like you. I believe in luck as much as the next guy. And perhaps you’re right, perhaps that shot was a one-off accident. But the fact remains: you are capable of it. You’ve just got be in the right frame of mind.”

Simon opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by the sudden interruption of the alarm siren. He and Steven gave each other a quick glance, before Steven reached down to his belt and brought up a small walkie-talkie device.

“This is General Bennet,” he spoke into it, “someone tell me what’s happening.”

“We’ve picked up trouble in the park sir” replied another man’s voice. “Looks like an attack.”

“Simon’s here with me. Contact the other Rangers and deploy them immediately.”

“Yes sir.”

“You’d better get going” Steven told Simon.

Simon just gave a nod, and activated his Ultra Morpher:

“Ultra-Op, Engage!”

*

In the park of Water Rose city, Simon arrived onto the scene. Mere seconds later, and the other Rangers teleported in beside him.

“Hey Simon” Andrew greeted his leader.

“Hey guys, glad you could make it” Simon replied. “Looks like we’ve found the troublemaker.”

Sure enough, a monster stood just a few feet away: a large green cactus creature, spikes bristling its body, and wearing a yellow hat and belt like a wild west cowboy.

“Yee-haw Rangers!” the monster exclaimed. “Gunslinger’s the name, and gunslinging’s my game!”

To prove his point, he suddenly withdrew a pistol from the holster on his belt and opened fire. The Rangers were blasted down but quickly recovered. Making the first move, Simon leapt into action, taking out his Ultra Blaster and firing off a few shots. Every one of them missed, but Gunslinger proved to be more accurate, sending a single shot into Simon’s chest and striking him down.

“Who decided to give you a gun, hotshot?” sneered Gunslinger.

The others now moved in on foot, their Ultra Weapons at the ready. Amy and Jessica tried their luck first, using their Ultra Cannon and Ultra Rifle to literally slam into their opponent. But knocking him a few steps back was all they could manage. Gunslinger fought back, using his spiked arms to knock the girls aside.

Jack and Andrew rushed forward, Andrew using his Ultra Sword to deliver a few slashes to the monster. Gunslinger retaliated by raising his arms in defence. Surprisingly, his spikes were resisting quite well against the Ultra Sword’s blade.

He laughed: “Sorry Tex, I’ve got more firm footing than a rodeo bull.”

“We’ll soon see about that!” replied Jack, sweeping his Ultra Staff low and knocking Gunslinger off his feet. The monster fell to the ground with a surprised yell, but fired his pistol up at his attackers before they could take advantage of the situation.

Quick to return to his feet, Gunslinger couldn’t help but mock the Rangers’ pathetic attempts.

“You Clint Eastwood wannabes wouldn’t last five minutes in the saloon!”

“Things can always change!” came a sudden announcement from Simon. The Red Ranger dived forward, thrusting his Ultra Gloves forward and slamming them into Gunslinger. The monster crashed to the floor, although able to roll with the momentum and climb back to his feet.

“A good old fashioned bar brawler eh?” he said. “Not bad, but I prefer more traditional techniques.”

Gunslinger reached down to his belt again, this time taking out a coil of rope from the other side. He was quick to move, swinging the lasso above his head and then letting it fly. The rope quickly positioned itself around Amy; Jessica; Jack and Andrew, hauling them together and tightening its hold. The four of them tried their best to struggle free, but the rope seemed to possess some sort of magical hold, and they couldn’t break loose.

“Yee-haw, now there’s a proper cowboy trick!” announced Gunslinger. “I got me some prized cattle!”

“Let ‘em go!” Simon ordered.

“You want your friends back? You fight for ‘em. In the city at high noon, a good old gunfight.”

With no further words, Gunslinger teleported off in a flash of light, his four prisoners disappearing with him.

“No!” cried Simon, unsettled at the fact that his team-mates had just been taken captive. Just then, his Ultra Morpher beeped, and he brought it up:

“Go for Simon.”

“Simon,” came Steven’s voice, “there’s nothing more you can do out there. Return to HQ, we’ll talk about your next move.”

*

On board his ship, Lord Lizzax witnessed these events through his viewing screen. He made no verbal sign of amusement, but his eyes were currently coloured yellow, indicating his satisfaction.

“Now there’s a fine monster” he spoke out loud. “Able to capture four of the Rangers without any problems. Now only one remains, and he is weakened without the support of his friends.”

“Where have the captured Rangers been taken to?” asked Blaze.

“Gunslinger has his own special dimension for prisoners” replied Squawk. “They will have been taken there. There will be no escape for them.”

“Perhaps not through their own means, but the Red Ranger could still cause problems. He may yet find a way” Lizzax realised.

“Don’t worry, my Lord” Screech assured him. “He won’t have a chance.”

“I am not willing to take that risk – Blaze?”

“Yes, my Lord?”

“When Gunslinger resumes his attack, the Red Ranger will be drawn out. You will enter the battle to make things a little more… interesting.”

Blaze gave a cruel sneer, anticipating the fight: “Yes, my Lord.”

*

“I don’t believe it!” Simon snarled, emphasising his point by angrily thumping his fist on Steven’s desk. “I don’t believe Gunslinger took the others.”

Sitting behind his desk, Steven raised his eyebrows at the Red Ranger’s frustration. However, it was Katrina standing beside him, who opted to actually reply:

“I’m sure they’re safe Simon” she attempted to reassure him. “Try to calm down a bit, ok?”

“Calm down? How do you expect me to calm down when the others have been captured?”

“Alright Simon,” Steven spoke up as he leaned back in his chair, “let me ask you something: so the other Rangers were captured – why do you think that happened?”

Simon sighed: “Because I did a bad job.”

“Simon…” Katrina began to protest, but he wouldn’t let her finish.

“It’s true. I wasn’t strong enough to save them, and now they’re gone. I’m a useless Ranger, plain and simple! It’s all my fault!”

“Alright, that’s enough!” Steven snapped in a firm tone. He got to his feet:

“Simon, I do not want to hear you talk like that, do you understand? This was not your fault! When I asked you why you think the others were captured, you were meant to realise that it was because the enemy can be very unpredictable sometimes.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that these evil alien types always have one thing in common: they possess bizarre and deadly powers that can have a great effect on humans. More often than not, we don’t know exactly what they’re capable of until we actually see them do it. That’s what you have to understand: how can we hope to stop these things from happening if they simply happen too quickly for us to react?”

“Ok fine, maybe you’ve got a point” Simon accepted. “But none of that matters anymore. What’s important now is getting the others back – how can I do that?”

“Use this” announced Katrina, handing him a small disc-like device with a jewel in the middle.

“How does it work?”

“First you’ll have to find Gunslinger’s weak spot. That’s the tough part, because we haven’t been able to locate where it is. But after that it’s simple – just point and shoot.”

Simon sighed again: “Not more aiming…”

“Remember what I told you earlier, Simon” Steven spoke up. “Don’t get carried away with trying to live up to Kyle’s standards. Just do your job the best you can.”

“But sir, what if my best isn’t good enough?”

“It will be. Trust me.”

*

Noon arrived and, as requested, Simon arrived in the streets of Water Rose City. His eyes were peeled as he slowly walked along, but Gunslinger was nowhere in sight. In fact, the entire street seemed deserted.

“Alright Gunslinger, I’m here” he called out. “Come out here and let’s get this over with.”

No reply. A gentle breeze wafted its way through, and Simon swore he saw a tumbleweed roll in front of him! For effect, he figured.

“Come on, stop hiding” he prompted again. “I want my friends back and you’re going to do it! Or are you too much of a coward to even give me a chance?”

“Red Ranger…” announced a voice from behind Simon. He quickly whirled around to see Gunslinger standing a short distance away.

“Nobody calls me yellow-bellied and gets away with it” the cactus monster threatened.

“So bring it on, Needle Nose!” Simon shot back. “Let’s do this.”

“Hold your horses, Tex. This is my contest, with my rules. So we’ll play this game my way.”

“Fine, name your terms.”

“On the count of ten, we draw. The fastest finger on the trigger wins.”

“I’m ready. Just begin the count when you are!”

Gunslinger began counting: “One… Two…”

Simon took a slow deep breath, trying to suppress his nerves. Had he told the truth? Did he really feel he was ready for this? God knows that when it came to gun fights, there was little chance he could emerge as the victor. He gave a little gulp.

The count continued: “Four… Five…”

Simon knew that had Kyle been in this position, there would be nothing to worry about. But he wasn’t Kyle, and now he realised that nobody expected him to be. Perhaps General Bennet had been right: he had to do things his own way. He couldn’t carry on like this, trying to live up to Kyle’s reputation as if he was trying somehow to bring him back. Kyle was gone now, he had to accept that.

Simon reached down for his Ultra Blaster as the count neared its completion. He forced himself to be confident: he was ready, he was prepared, he was going to do this!

“Seven… Eight…”

At that moment, Simon received an unexpected strike from the back. Sparks flew as he stumbled forward from a mixture of surprise and the force of the attack. Behind him stood Blaze, his lips twisted up in an amused sneer and his sword drawn.

“Ten!” Gunslinger finished his count, now swiftly withdrawing his pistol and opening fire. Caught off guard, Simon was left completely open and received the full brunt of the blast, knocked to the side and tumbling to the ground. As he tried to recover, he could hear the taunting chuckles of his two opponents.

“Well that wasn’t very fair…” he groaned.

“Like I said, my contest with my rules” replied Gunslinger.

“And if you think the bad guys play fair,” Blaze added, “then you really have a lot to learn.”

“You!” Simon snarled at the general as he got back to his feet. “You’ve got a lot of nerve showing your face in front of me!”

“Why, just because I’m the one responsible for your best friend’s death?” asked Blaze. “Well hey, if it’s revenge you’re looking for, then here’s your chance to take it.”

“This is personal – Ultra Gloves!”

Summoning his individual weapons, Simon charged in. Rage filled his being – this freak would pay for what he did! Quickly Simon began to execute a few solid blows, his strength enhanced by his Ultra Gloves. But Blaze was more than ready for the challenge, using his sword to fend off the assault.

“You are no challenge for me, Red Ranger” scoffed Blaze. “Soon you will learn that you skipped the frying pan and landed straight into the fire!”

With that, Blaze thrust his free arm forward, emitting a stream of flame that caught Simon off guard and knocked him back. From the side, Gunslinger added to the problem by firing off another shot of his own. Luckily, Simon managed to duck under the shot, and now made a run towards Gunslinger.

“Target this pal!” he declared, slamming his fist straight into the monster’s forehead. Gunslinger yelled out in pain, as a circular area on his forehead suddenly burst open, revealing a small red crystal-like object underneath.

“That must be his weak spot, it has to be” Simon realised. “I’ve got to work fast!”

Simon wasted no time, quickly bringing out the device that Katrina has given him and activating it. A white laser left the jewel on the device and made contact with Gunslinger’s crystal. Mere seconds later, and a flash of light heralded the return of the four other morphed Rangers, as they landed around their leader.

“Simon!” called Jack, realising what had happened. “Way to go man, I knew you’d get us back.”

“Are you guys alright?” Simon asked them.

“We are now” replied Jessica. “So what do you say we pick up from where we left off?”

“Right” agreed Simon. “Ultra Weapons, combine!”

The five Rangers connected their unique weapons together, aiming the resulting device towards its target. Taking positions, the team announced together:

“Ultrastar Launcher, fire!”

The Ultra Sword/missile streaked towards its target at impressive speed. Gunslinger let out a cry of despair as he fell to the ground, promptly exploding in a ball of fire.

“Okay Blaze, now it’s your turn!” Simon announced.

Blaze laughed, raising his sword ready: “You’re going to wish you hadn’t said that, Ranger!”

Blaze started to advance, but hesitated when the Technicals teleported in beside him. One of the twin beaks kept their gaze on the Rangers, while the other turned to face the general:

“Blaze, Lord Lizzax wants you back on the ship immediately” Screech told him.

“But I’m about to take care of these Power Pests once and for all” replied Blaze. “What’s the problem?”

“Our Lord orders it, you’d better hurry” was all Squawk had for an answer. “He wants Gunslinger to finish them off.”

Blaze wasn’t happy about it – he had been looking forward to destroying them all. But he accepted the order given to him.

“Trust me Rangers,” he snarled at them, “I’ll be back. This has only just gotten started!”

Blaze teleported away, while the Technicals promptly proceeded with the resurrection ceremony:

“One scream to bring back the deceased…” began Squawk.

“…one scream to make his size increase!” finished Screech.

The Technicals let out their unified scream, the sonic waves boring into the ground where Gunslinger had been destroyed. A split second later, and the monster was back and bigger than ever.

“YEEEEE-HAWWWW!” exclaimed an elated and enormous Gunslinger.

“Ready for the big battle guys?” Simon asked his team.

“Ready!” came their joint reply.

“Okay then – Rhino Carrier, online!”

On command, the large black rhinoceros Zord trundled onto the scene. Alone, it was not effective for this kind of battle, but of course with it came the Rangers’ main trump card. The Rangers leapt up and inside, entering the cockpits of their individual Ultrastar Zords. The Rhino Carrier came to a halt, and the back ramp opened up.

“Lion Ultrastar Zord, power up!” ordered Jack.
“Wolf Ultrastar Zord, power up!” called Amy.
“Shark Ultrastar Zord, power up!” announced Andrew.
“Hawk Ultrastar Zord, power up!” cried Jessica.
“Bear Ultrastar Zord, power up!” finished Simon.

Together, the five Zords made their way out of the Rhino Carrier: a group of machines designed and constructed especially for this purpose. The purpose to save the city.

The Rangers instantly activated the combination sequence, bringing their Zords together.

“Ultrastar Megazord, power up!” they announced in unison, as the Megazord signified it was ready with a quick flex of the arms.

“Alright,” Gunslinger cheered, “now here’s a bull worthy of taking for a ride at the rodeo!”

Inside the Megazord’s cockpit, Amy turned to the others: “Do any of you actually find this guy funny?”

“I’m not laughing” replied Andrew.

“Ok cowboy,” Simon announced, “time to run you out of town!”

The Megazord advanced quickly, going on the offensive. A few solid blows were delivered to the spiky body of the walking cactus monster, who let out growls of pain. The Rangers kept up the pace, commanding the Megazord to send more punches forward, followed by a strong kick. Gunslinger stumbled backwards but remained standing. Now he was angry!

“Draw!” he snarled, quickly bringing out his pistol weapon and opening fire. Several laser bolts blasted their way across the Megazord’s chest, showers of sparks descending to the ground below. The Rangers jostled in their cockpit from the force of the attack.

“Fastest gun in the West!” Gunslinger chortled, firing again.

“Alright, now I’m getting annoyed!” exclaimed Jessica. “We’ve got to take this guy out.”

Unfortunately, Gunslinger wasn’t going to give them the chance. Reaching down to his belt, he brought out his rope. One swift swing, and he had succeeded in lassoing the Megazord. The rope magically tightened itself around the large metal warrior, securing it to the spot.

“Oh man, he’s got us!” cried Jack.

“I’m trying to break free, but the arms are being held fast” reported Amy. “We can’t move them!”

“Sorry Rangers,” smirked Gunslinger, “but this town ain’t big enough for the both of us!”

Suddenly, Gunslinger sent an energy pulse through the rope. Jolts of electricity surged their way through the Megazord, causing the Rangers to be literally thrown from their seats, colliding with the walls of the cockpit.

“Man, that was some hit!” said Jack, still lying on the floor. “We’ve got to loosen that rope or we’re done for!”

“That’s it! This is one day I’ve had enough of!” proclaimed Simon, struggling back into his chair. “I’m getting us out of here – Andrew, give me complete control over the Megazord’s right arm.”

“You’ve got it” Andrew replied as he and the others also returned to their seats. “But why? We can’t get it loose.”

“I just need to be able to move it a little. Trust me.”

“Ok,” said Andrew, “controls transferred. Do what you’ve gotta do man.”

Simon adjusted his controls, trying his best to move the Megazord’s arm inside the rope lasso. He knew he wouldn’t be able to wrench it free, but sure enough, he was succeeding in adjusting its position. The arm shifted slightly, and Simon just prayed that his visual assessment of the angle was accurate.

“Alright,” he said with a deep breath, “here we go – Ultra Sabre!”

Upon request, the Megazord’s weapon materialised into its grip – and the sword’s blade appeared right where the rope was, and promptly severed it. Gunslinger watched in disbelief as he saw his broken rope fall to the ground.

“What the…? Hey you can’t do that!” he whined.

“Just did” Jack retorted. “Great job Simon.”

“You’re going to pay for that!” Gunslinger roared. He aimed his pistol and fired another shot.

“Not today!” replied Simon, commanding the Megazord to quickly bring up the Ultra Sabre. The sword deflected the laser shot straight back at Gunslinger. The monster was struck by his own attack, and let out another yell of pain.

“Let’s end this” Simon told the others, who were more than happy to agree.

“Ultra Slash!” came the joint declaration. The Megazord delivered its finishing attack, sending forward five energised slashes. Gunslinger met his final end inside the explosion, prompting the Megazord to raise up the Ultra Sabre in its celebratory pose.

Now finally able to relax, Simon let out a sigh:

“When will these bandits learn? They shouldn’t try anything when the Sheriff’s in town!”

*

On board his ship, Lord Lizzax witnessed Gunslinger’s destruction. The evil ruler’s eyes were coloured a solid red to reflect his anger.

“Gunslinger was a fine monster, strong and cunning, and yet he is defeated by these Rangers! What do I have to do to gain the upper hand?”

“Why, locate the Hydra’s Teeth, of course” replied Squawk.

“Yes,” Lizzax agreed, “those crystals will bring me the power I need to ensure that nobody will dare to oppose me again. But tracking them down will take time – there is little else I can do while I wait, except attempt to eliminate the Rangers early.”

“My Lord,” Blaze now spoke up, “it is not my place to question your tactics, but perhaps you should have kept me in the battle. I could have wiped those Rangers out, and would have been more than happy to do so!”

“I understand your disappointment, Blaze. But I did have my reasons for calling you back. Clearly the Red Ranger seeks revenge for the murder of his friend – of which you were the cause. He hates you, Blaze, and will hold a personal grudge against you for a long while.”

Blaze did not understand: “Meaning?”

“Over time, his anger will increase dramatically, to the point where he will become blinded by his rage. He will begin to lose concentration, and make more mistakes. This will make it all the more entertaining when you finally destroy him. But do you see? By calling you away, he must wait longer to face you and grow more frustrated while doing it – which provides the time needed for his bitterness to spread.

Blaze’s lips twisted into a cruel sneer as he now understood his Lord’s motives:

“You are truly evil, my Lord.”

“Yes” Lizzax couldn’t help but agree. “Yes I am.”

*

Inside the Ultrastar HQ, the Rangers sat around in the lounge area, relaxing after their battle. Steven had joined them, taking the opportunity to congratulate them on another job well done.

“You all did great Rangers” he told them. “But this time, the main praise has to go to Simon.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that…” Simon began to protest.

“General Bennet’s right,” Jack told him, “you really came through man.”

“Yeah” Andrew agreed. “You held your own, and you managed to rescue the rest of us.”

Steven smiled: “Simon, you’ve done a great service for your fellow Rangers, and indeed all of Ultrastar.”

“I guess you were right sir” replied Simon. “Maybe I am capable, when I’m in the right frame of mind.”

“And you certainly seemed to be, from what I saw. Like I’ve said to you before, Simon: there are still things you have to learn, but I think you’re going to prove that I made a good decision by keeping you on the team.”

“Oh stop…” Simon stammered, beginning to blush a little.

“Aww, isn’t that cute?” Amy giggled. Simon just stuck his tongue out at her in a light-hearted fashion, to which Amy gave the same response.

Simon turned back to Steven: “Thanks General. The talk you gave me really helped. I guess I needed to hear those words.”

“No problem” Steven replied with another smile. “That’s what I’m here for, to help you all become the best Rangers you can be. I know you’ll take your job seriously, because that’s the way I take mine.”

“I just hope the rest of us can do the great job you’re asking for, General” said Jessica.

“I’m sure you will, Jessica. It’s been my experience that every member of every team have their own issues to grapple with. I’m sure that you’re all going to face some challenges in the future, but with confidence and discipline, you’ll be able to overcome them. You’ll all learn your lessons, just as Simon has learnt his.”

Steven turned his attention back to Simon:

“I’m sure Kyle would be proud of you.”

Simon gave a smile: “Maybe not for trying to live up to his reputation, but for realising that I can still do a job in my own way… Yes sir, you’re right – I’m sure he would be.”

bushwacka666

05-22-2005, 08:16 AM

The Rangers search for what could be a Hydra's Tooth crystal, but Lizzax's latest monster is intent on standing in their way. Can Jessica prove that she has what it takes to win the day?

bushwacka666

05-22-2005, 08:17 AM

- Something to give you a right laugh: the Special Ops theme song now up in the Media section.

Arrow

05-22-2005, 12:31 PM

Just tuned in, and had to go back and read all of PF and FotZ late last night to make sure I understood at least part of what was going on (and damn, was I super tired when it was time to go to work this morning). The previous two sagas were wonderful, and this one's been a really fun ride so far. Can't wait to see what else you do! I'm missing seeing Tara around though, and that's something else I can't wait to see you touch on. Anyways, keep up the excellent work.

Zord_Crazy

05-22-2005, 01:09 PM

Dude, if loving this fic is wrong, I don't wanna be right!! You KIU, duder!

Time Ranger

05-22-2005, 05:53 PM

Dude, if loving this fic is wrong, I don't wanna be right!! You KIU, duder!

I agree. I am really enjoying this. It's so different seeing Steven Bennet in a non Ranger Role. Peace God Bless

bushwacka666

05-23-2005, 10:32 AM

Thanks once again guys. :)

Arrow: welcome to my world! ;) I appreciate you taking the time to plough through "The Bennet Legacy", and admire the dedication - I'm just sorry I made you lose some sleep! :D I'm really glad you've enjoyed what's been there so far, and I hope you look forward to what's still to come.

Zord_Crazy: what can I say m8? Your support is, as ever, much appreciated. KIU I most certainly will!

Time Ranger: Indeed Steven's mentor role is quite different than what we're used to from the other 2 fics, which is the way I wanted to portray it. Bearing in mind that Special Ops is set 6 years after FOTZ, Steven's done some growing up since his Ranger days. You'll notice some times when he gives some fairly deep advice to the new team. But although he's not a Ranger anymore, a fair chunk of this fic still revolves around him. Stay tuned folks! :023:

Jacen

05-25-2005, 06:32 AM

This episode was good. I'm a bit disappointed that you ain't pointing the morphing/transformation things in each episode, but it's otherwise great.

Better then I can do. I just stare at an open word window for hours, not writing a thing :(

bushwacka666

05-25-2005, 11:46 AM

This episode was good. I'm a bit disappointed that you ain't pointing the morphing/transformation things in each episode, but it's otherwise great.

Yeah I know what you mean. I'll just be honest - I'm hopeless at thinking up decent morphing sequences! So I just tend not to bother with them.

Every writer has flaws - that's one of mine.

bushwacka666

06-07-2005, 09:15 AM

A typical day in Water Rose City, and the citizens once again lived out their daily lives. For the Rangers, they too went about their individual business. Sure, they were a team now, but they had not yet reached a point where they became the best of friends who always did everything together. Simon was currently paying a visit to the Silver Guardian HQ to catch up with his old workmates. Amy was in the library studying for an English exam, whilst Andrew reluctantly went to carry out some more chores of slavery in his brother’s lab.

For Jack, he took this opportunity to begin teaching Jessica some martial arts, as he had promised to do when they first met. The two of them walked through the streets, making their way towards the Moonbeam Hotel.

“Thanks again for agreeing to show me some moves Jack” Jessica told him. “I really appreciate you taking the time.”

“Oh I’m happy to” replied Jack. “I don’t remember it being an actual law that Rangers had to know martial arts, but they all seem to, don’t they?”

“Yeah, but lots of them could probably fight long before they became Rangers anyway. I mean, you’ve been doing it for a while, right?”

“You could say that” Jack smiled as he spoke. “Anyway, I’ve seen you fight when we were in battle. You seem to be able to handle your own.”

“Maybe, but I really don’t know that much – a punch here, a couple of kicks there. If I could pull off some of the moves you can do, then I could really give Lizzax’s goons a run for their money!”

“I hear that!”

The pair reached the Moonbeam and went in, walking past the reception desk and heading straight for one of the elevators. Stepping inside, Jack pressed the doors button with his thumb. The concealed scanner read his print and the elevator promptly jerked into life, carrying its passengers to the secret thirteenth floor.

*

“What do you mean ‘not yet’? That is not the sort of answer I want to hear you give me.”

“I’m sorry, my Lord” Squawk protested.

“As you should be” Blaze added his own contribution to the scolding of the Technicals. “Because when Lord Lizzax asks ‘Have you located any more of the Hydra’s Teeth?’, what you should be saying is ‘Absolutely. We’ve found them all – in fact, we’ve got them all. Every last one of those crystals is now in your possession’.”

“What, and you think that’s actually possible in such a short time?” Squawk asked the general. “Surely you can accept the realistic timeframe that this project takes up?”

“Oh I could accept that,” Blaze sneered, “but I doubt Lizzax could.”

“I can be quite patient when the situation requires it” Lizzax informed his subordinates. “However, I have been awaiting this moment for the longest time, to finally amass enough of the Hydra’s Teeth to power up my ultimate weapon. Now that this time is finally within my grasp, I am rather in a hurry to fulfil my objectives.”

“We quite understand, my Lord” Screech assured him. “Our detection equipment is still relatively experimental – it was sort of a rush job to get the scanners online. But fear not, we’re well on the way to tracking those crystals down. We will not disappoint you.”

“Yes,” Lizzax replied thoughtfully, “see that you don’t…”

*

In the training gym of the Ultrastar headquarters, Jack did his warm-up stretches while Jessica went to change. The warm-up was standard routine for him before starting up a practice session, and he knew he would be ready to go.

Jessica came out of the changing room, dressed in a small yellow vest top with matching shorts. She made her way over to the mats, with Jack joining her.

“Is this fine for practice?” she asked him, gesturing to her clothing.

“Perfectly suitable” replied Jack. “You might want to tie your hair back though, make sure it’s out of the way.”

“Good idea” Jessica agreed. She quickly walked over to her bag and pulled out a scrunchie, using it to secure her hair in a ponytail.

As she stood there with her back turned, Jack couldn’t help but notice something – a black mark of some kind – located just under her left shoulder.

“Hey, what’s that?” he asked her.

“What?”

Jack walked over to take a closer look at the mark: it was a tattoo, a biohazard design. It was relatively small and yet clearly visible on Jessica’s back.

“Cool tattoo” he told her.

“Oh yeah” Jessica replied slowly. “That.”

“How long have you had that?”

“Um, I tend to make myself forget when I got it.”

“What do you mean?”

Jessica turned back around: “Oh nothing. It was just that I made a mistake. I wish I hadn’t got it.”

“Really? I think it looks great.”

“Well,” she said, shrugging her shoulders, “I’m just not a tattoo fan. Live and learn, huh? Anyway, shall we get this training session on the road?”

“By all means.”

*

Back on Lizzax’s ship, the Technicals were stationed by a vast array of scanning equipment, busy flipping a variety of switches and fiddling around with numerous dials. Screech peered down at one of the screens, which displayed several coloured lines that waved and travelled along in a random manner.

“Well,” she spoke to her other half, “what do you think?”

Squawk’s head turned around, the neck curving to allow him to take a close-up look at the same screen.

“I think it could be one” he answered. “Shall we tell Lizzax?”

“Well I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be sure about this first. Having Lizzax’s electrical beams throwing us across the room isn’t something I want to experience on a regular basis.”

“Believe me, I know how you feel! But these energy readings seem to be what we’re looking for, so I think we’re as sure as we can be.”

“Alright then, let’s go.”

The Technicals walked away from the scanners, making their way over to Lizzax who stood looking at a screen that showed Earth in all its glory. A planet, he felt confident, that would soon bow down before him.

“My Lord,” Squawk began, “we believe we’ve found one.”

Lizzax turned around to face his servants: “Are you certain?”

“As certain as possible, my Lord” replied Screech. “If it’s not a Hydra’s Tooth, we don’t know what it is.”

A faint hint of yellow softly radiated in Lizzax’s eyes, indicating his happiness at the possibility of gaining a Tooth into his possession.

“Very well” he told the Technicals. “Send down a monster to find and retrieve it. I want this done quickly, before those Rangers have a chance to intervene.”

“Any particular monster in mind?” asked Squawk.

Lizzax thought for a moment: “Yes. Send down Archangel – he’s one of my favourites.”

“As you wish, my Lord.”

*

“Alright, that’s pretty good. Remember to keep your guard up.”

Jessica took the suggestion on board, raising her arms in a defensive position as she moved to block all of Jack’s incoming punches. Her reflexes were quick and her reactions were sharp, almost as if she was able to sense where Jack would aim his next attack. Seeing an opportunity, she suddenly lashed out with a kick to Jack’s stomach. She did not actually make contact, of course, as this was only practice. But she smiled a little upon seeing Jack’s eyebrows raise up in a surprised manner.

“Nice job Jess, you managed to catch me off guard – I’m impressed” he praised her. “You catch on quick.”

“Well I guess I’ve just got a really good teacher” Jessica replied with another smile.

“Alright, let’s give that kick another try.”

Jessica’s smile faded: “Are you kidding? We already tried that kick at least twenty times, and at least twenty times I landed on my butt! I just don’t think I’m ready to learn that move yet.”

“Oh come on, you can do it. You just need patience and focus. I mean, there’s a move that I’ve been trying to pull off for a long time, but I just can’t seem to get it right. But it’s all that’s stopping me from reaching black belt – I don’t just stop trying just because it doesn’t work the first few hundred times!”

Jessica let out a little sigh: “Okay, you’re right. I’ll give it another go.”

The pair began to assume their stances. Suddenly, the alarm sounded throughout the HQ. They shot each other a glance, both knowing that they would probably be needed. Jessica made a quick dash into the changing room and grabbed her clothes.

“Saved by the bell” she remarked as they left the gym. Jack chuckled slightly:

“For now, but you won’t get out of it that easily.”

They made their way into the main area of the HQ, where Steven and several other Ultrastar crew monitored the equipment dotted around.

“What’s the situation, General?” Jack enquired.

“We’ve detected a monster in the forest, although we haven’t been able to get a visual on him yet” replied Steven.

“Why the forest?” asked Jessica. “I mean, it’s not exactly the centre of the city’s living accommodation, is it?”

“We’ve also picked up some sort of energy reading in the forest” Steven told them. “Lizzax has probably sent down the monster to investigate it.”

“An energy reading? A Hydra’s Tooth?” suggested Jack.

“Could be, but we can’t be certain. Listen, the two of you better get down there and check it out. I’ll contact the others and have them meet you there.”

“Right.”

*

Mere minutes later, and the five Rangers made their way through the forest of Water Rose City. They had not yet morphed, deciding to just take a look around first. Each one of them kept their eyes peeled for anything unusual. At the moment, however, all seemed quiet.

“Anybody see anything?” Simon asked them.

“Well,” Andrew began, “I’m not blind, if that’s what…”

“Ha-ha, you know what I mean. Do you notice anything out of the ordinary?”

“Negative, Captain!”

“It all looks pretty quiet” added Amy. “I can’t see what…wait a minute.”

“What is it?” asked Jack.

“Did you guys hear that?”

“I didn’t hear anything” answered Andrew.

“Well maybe you’re deaf!” Simon joked, getting Andrew back for his earlier quip. Andrew just shot him a mock amused look.

Just then, a loud and sudden noise echoed through the air – something snapped, like a twig or maybe even a branch. This time, everybody heard that one.

“Over there” Simon said, pointing off to the side. The five of them quickly made their way over, climbing up a bit of small raised ground and peering over the side. Down in a deep ditch was the monster they had been sent to track down: a large metal figure with glowing red eyes and silver feather-like points sticking out from the head. A pair of metallic wings were on the back.

“Well, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say he’s not here for the scenery” said Jessica.

“Has he found what he was searching for yet?” asked Andrew.

“Doesn’t look like it,” replied Simon, “and we’d better make sure he doesn’t.” He shouted out loud: “Hey!”

The monster looked up at the voice, now spotting the five humans standing above him.

“What do you want?” he bellowed at them.

“Forest wardens” Amy shot back. “I’m afraid you can’t stay here. You’ll have to leave.”

“Make me!” retorted the monster. Thrusting an arm in the teens’ direction, he fired off a blue electrical beam from his hand, striking the ground around them and blasting them off their feet. They began to hurtle down to the ditch below – not a major fall had it not been for the fact that they had been blasted up in the air in the first place. Luckily, they managed to keep their cool, and knew they had to act fast. Together, they placed their fingers onto their Ultra Morphers…

“Ultra-Op, Engage!”

Five flashes of light announced the Rangers’ midair morph, and they were now able to somersault into a better position and land safely on their feet. The monster glared at his new opposition from behind his robotic eyes.

“Oh, so you guys are those pesky Rangers that I was told about?” he asked. “No matter, you are no match for Archangel.”

“We’ll just see about that” announced Simon. “If you want to go any further, you’ve got to get past us!”

“Not a problem!”

With that, Archangel charged. The Rangers quickly moved into defensive positions. Archangel attacked with a variety of punches and kicks, fending off the Rangers’ own advances. Jack was the first to try his luck. The skilled martial artist put his talents to good use, leaping up into a tornado kick that sent the monster staggering backwards. Further kick combos served to further prove his ability. However, when Jack attempted another tornado kick, Archangel was ready for him this time. The metal monster quickly sidestepped out of the way before swinging an arm into Jack’s side, knocking him down.

Amy and Andrew attacked together, firing their Ultra Blasters as they ran. Archangel just laughed to himself, then turned around so his back was facing them. The lasers struck his wings but seemed to have no effect whatsoever. Amy and Andrew realised that his wings had enough armour plating to resist such attacks, so they opted to use his turned back to their advantage, figuring that now he could no longer see them approaching. Moving swiftly, the Pink and Blue Rangers came ever closer…

“I don’t think so…” Archangel suddenly announced, leaping up and backwards over the heads of the two Rangers. As he descended, he fired off another laser beam from his arm, blasting Amy and Andrew and striking them down. Simon started to move in, but another blast meant that he couldn’t even attempt a successful attack.

“Just you and me, sweetheart” said Archangel, now turning his attention towards Jessica, who braced herself for the attack. Archangel charged in, exchanging a few hits with the Yellow Ranger. Unfortunately, her basic self-defence abilities were proving no match for the monster’s strength. Archangel lifted her up and
literally threw her to the ground. Jessica landed hard with a loud groan, but the punishment did not end there. Before she even had the chance to get up, Archangel blasted the ground around her with his laser. Again she flew back, skidding along the dirt and being stopped only by the side of the ditch.

“Pathetic” Archangel sneered as he closed in. Jessica tried to stand, but she was too weak to move. All she could do was watch as Archangel towered over her…

“Oh no you don’t!” announced a voice. A figure suddenly came in, landing a solid flying kick into Archangel’s side and knocking him down. The figure moved over to Jessica, extended a hand to help her up. Only then did she register who it was.

“Thanks Jack” she expressed her gratitude. “I owe you one.”

“No worries” replied Jack, supporting his team-mate steady. “Are you alright?”

“I think so.”

The entire team now regrouped, all of them assuming their fighting stances as they got ready for another round.

“A nice try Rangers,” Archangel told them, “but you still know that I’m way too strong for you. You’ve found that out the hard way – maybe now you’ll learn to stay out of my way.”

Archangel raised an arm up into the sky, and was engulfed in a bright flash moments later. When the flash disappeared, so had he.

“He got away” Andrew sighed.

“After the beating we just had, I’m not about to complain!” Amy chimed in.

“I know what you mean Amy,” Simon agreed, “but we’ve got to find him again. If there’s a Hydra’s Tooth out here, we have to get to it before he does.”

*

On the bridge of Lizzax’s ship, the evil quartet witnessed Archangel’s successful attack against the Rangers. Blaze and the Technicals all had smiles on their faces, and Lizzax’s eyes were a bright yellow in colour.

“I have to admit it,” Blaze began, “I’m impressed. That was one good fight.”

“Archangel is one of the best monsters that we’ve ever made” Screech gloated.

“Yep,” Squawk joined in on the boasting about the creation from him and his associate. “We really broke the mould with this guy! Sometimes we’re so brilliant, even I’m surprised!”

“Oh cease your babbling, you two!” Lizzax cut in. “You’re giving me a headache!”

“Sorry, my Lord” both of the Technicals replied in unison.

“Your monster is strong,” Blaze told them, “but I wouldn’t start bragging just yet – he has yet to perform his duty and find that Tooth. If anything, the fight with the Rangers has distracted him from getting on with it.”

“That is correct,” Lizzax now spoke up, “but it was a necessary distraction. Archangel’s task will be much easier without the Ultrastar Rangers in the way. They have witnessed the power that he possesses.”

“Yes, my Lord,” added Squawk, “and it wasn’t even all of it. He could do a lot worse!”

“Really?” asked Lizzax. “Well in that case, when the time is right, I shall be very tempted to put that statement to the test!”

*

Once again, the Rangers trekked their way through the forest, alert for any sign of Archangel. After their earlier defeat, they knew they had a dangerous opponent on their hands. They would have to put in extra effort next time, for the sake of the entire city.

“Next time I see that thing, he’s going down!” announced Simon. “Nobody blasts me to the ground and gets away with it!”

“I’m just sorry I wasn’t much help” sighed Jessica. “I couldn’t do anything to stop him. He was just too strong.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself Jess” Amy tried to console her. “He got all of us pretty bad.”

“I know, but I was just useless. If it hadn’t been for Jack quickly jumping in, I’d probably be lying on a hospital bed right now.”

“Jessica, your best bet was to use some of the moves I was teaching you just this morning.” Jack told her. “But you didn’t even try them.”

“I just didn’t think about it. I was too busy just trying to stay alive.”

“Which is exactly what those skills are for. I mean, you asked me to teach you martial arts, but what’s the point if you never make use of it?”

“But I’ve only been practising for a few hours. You really think I’m ready to try those moves for real so soon?”

Jack shrugged his shoulders: “Seems like as good a time as any.”

The Rangers’ banter was cut short when they suddenly noticed an enormous shadow casting over them. They gazed up, now seeing the figure of a giant Archangel trampling his way through the forest.

“Okay then…” murmured Andrew. “He’s pretty… big…”

“It’s probably so he can quickly cover more of the forest in his search” Amy realised.

“Well he’s not going to like what he finds” Simon announced. “Let’s go – Rhino Carrier, online!”

A few seconds was all it took, and the Rhino Carrier appearance on the scene. Archangel noticed the Zord’s arrival and turned to face it.

“Rhino Carrier, fire!” ordered Simon. The Zord obediently fired several laser bolts from its mouth, blasting Archangel back. However, the giant monster stood his ground, retaliating with his own laser to damage the Rhino Carrier.

“We’ve got to take it up a notch” Andrew told the others. “Let’s get to the Zords.”

The others agreed, and they all entered the Rhino Carrier’s top hatch, landing in the cockpits of their individual Ultrastar Zords. The Rhino Carrier lowered its rear hatch, and the five animal Zords made their way out, immediately initiating the combination sequence.

“Ultrastar Megazord, power up!” the Rangers announced, moving the Megazord into position against Archangel.

“Well then Rangers,” Archangel began, “you didn’t learn your lesson the first time round?”

“Can it pal!” Simon shot back. “This time you won’t be so lucky!”

The Megazord advanced, meeting Archangel and promptly slamming two fists into his chest. Archangel staggered back a few steps, but it would take more than that to stop him. He fired off another laser beam from his arm, landing a direct hit on the Megazord and knocking it back. He then outstretched his wings, revealing multiple razor-sharp feather blades inside. The blades suddenly launched like missiles. Sparks rippled across the Megazord, and it toppled to the ground.

“Man that was one hard hit” exclaimed Andrew. “Targeting systems are down.”

“We’ve got to get back up,” cried Amy, “or we’re done for.”

“Guys, look” Jessica spoke up, pointing down to the ground. The Rangers followed her finger, noticing a normal-sized Archangel sneaking through the forest below.

“What the…?” Andrew stammered, confused. “How can he be both down there and up here?”

“Maybe this grown guy is some kind of fake projection” Amy suggested. “A decoy to keep us out of the way.”

“Jack; Jessica: get down there and go after the little guy” Simon ordered them. “Get to him before he gets to that Tooth.”

“What about you?” asked Jessica.

“That grown Archangel might be a fake, but his attacks sure feel pretty real! The rest of us better stay here and keep it busy, before it causes any real damage.”

“Come on Jess, let’s go” Jack called to his team-mate. Together, the Yellow and Green Rangers descended to the ground, landing in front of the small Archangel.

“Not so fast,” Jack threatened him, “this time we’re going to make sure you go through those golden gates!”

Archangel responded only with a laser beam, striking the ground around the pair and blasting them back. Jessica was the first to recover, running in and attempting a few kicks. The basic attacks had little effect on Archangel, however, and the monster was able to easily block them and then shove her away. Jack now moved in, his own fighting skills proving more successful. A few airborne kicks made Archangel stagger back, but by no means caused any serious damage. Archangel suddenly lashed out, grabbing onto Jack and pulling him close. Jack struggled as much as he could, but the monster’s grip held fast.

“Jack!” called Jessica, running to her friend’s aid. “Hold on!”

But she was not fast enough. Archangel fired off his wing’s feather missiles, every one of them striking Jack at point-blank range. The Green Ranger flew back with force, the strain causing him to de-morph in midair. He landed hard, letting out a loud yell of pain.

“Jack!” Jessica cried out, running over to him. “Jack, are you okay?”

“My ankle…” Jack groaned, biting down on his lip, “I think it’s broken.”

“Sit tight okay? I’ll handle this.”

Jessica stood back up to face Archangel again. The monster’s entertained laughs only served to annoy her further.

“Alright that’s it!” she declared. “Nobody hurts my friends and gets away with it!”

With that, Jessica charged. This time, she was ready. She was focused. She knew that this monster had to pay, and it was her job to make sure that happened. Moving into a cartwheel, she moved across the ground, adjusting into a hard kick into Archangel’s chest. Archangel swiped his arm in anger, but Jessica proved faster, quickly stepping to the side and lashing out with another solid kick. As he tried to suppress the pain by clutching his ankle, Jack looked on, realising that Jessica was now putting into practice some of the moves he had been teaching her earlier – and seemed to be making a pretty good job of it!

“Alright, now I’m really starting to get mad!” Archangel snarled.

“Yeah?” the Yellow Ranger shot back. “Well me too!”

Jessica’s next attack just seemed to happen. She wasn’t really even thinking about it. In her training, she simply hadn’t managed to pull the kick off, but somehow she knew that this time it would serve her well…

And it did. She leapt up into a flying kick, practically ploughing into Archangel and knocking him to the ground. Where before she had failed to balance herself afterwards, this time she managed to land back on her feet. However, the realisation that she had been able to perform the move could not sink in just yet – she still had a job to do.

“Ultra Rifle!” she announced, summoning her unique weapon. As Archangel struggled back to his feet, Jessica took aim and opened fire. Several laser blasts struck home, blasting Archangel right between the eyes.

“No…” Archangel cried, but it was too late. Jessica had inadvertently hit the right spot – in a bright flash, the giant Archangel faded away. Inside the cockpit of the Megazord, the other three Rangers breathed a sigh of relief.

“Yes, Jess did it!” cheered Amy.

“Come on guys,” Simon told them, “let’s go.”

Simon; Amy and Andrew descended to the ground. Amy and Simon came up beside Jessica to face Archangel, whilst Andrew went over to check on Jack.

“So,” Jessica began, “you still want to give us a hard time?”

Archangel glared at the Rangers: “You have survived for now, Rangers, but you haven’t seen the last of me. Keep that in mind.”

Archangel disappeared in a flash of light, leaving the Rangers alone in the forest.

“Well, he got away” sighed Amy.

“Yeah,” Simon agreed, “but I’m sure he was telling the truth – we’ll be seeing him again.”

“Jess…” came a voice. Jessica turned to see Jack hobble up beside her, his arm draped over Andrew’s shoulder as he supported him.

“You did it Jess” Jack told her with a smile. “You made use of your new skills, and they helped us to win the day. You did great!”

“Yeah,” Jessica replied, returning the smile “I guess I did.”

At that point, Simon’s Morpher beeped. He brought it up and pressed the communication button:

“Go for Simon.”

“Congratulations Rangers,” came General Bennet’s voice from the Morpher, “another job well done. We’ve managed to get an exact location fix on the source of the energy reading. We’ll send you the details now. Bring it back to HQ straight away.”

“Yes sir” replied Simon. “Amy?”

“On it” Amy replied, walking off to the side. She came back a few moments later, an object resting in her hands. The Rangers examined it: a small black box, laced with multiple flashing lights. A few buttons rested in a panel on one side, and a small silver radar dish rotated in the box’s centre. A small illustration rested in front of the dish: a circular saw-blade design.

“Is that what was creating the energy reading we picked up?” asked Jessica.

“Yeah” Amy confirmed.

“Well that’s not a Hydra’s Tooth” Andrew pointed out.

“I guess not,” Simon replied, “but it is what we were send here to find. Let’s get it back to base.”

*

On board Lizzax’s ship, Blaze quickly ducked to avoid the Technicals soaring over his head, propelled by a fierce electrical beam from their master. The blast was so strong, that the Technicals actually hurtled through the open door and out of the room.

Lizzax slowly paced back and forth, his eyes coloured a solid red whilst his reptilian tongue slithered from one side of his mouth to the other.

“I’m going to take a guess here,” began Blaze, “and say that you’re pretty angry right now.”

“Correct! Brilliant powers of deduction, you imbecile!” Lizzax snapped back.

“The Rangers may have obtained the Tooth, but all is not lost, my Lord. Remember that we still have Archangel.”

“That worthless piece of walking scrap metal failed me!”

“This time, perhaps. But even you must agree that he was a good fighter, a fine opponent for the Rangers. We can improve his capabilities, and next time he will be unstoppable.”

The red in Lizzax’s eyes began to fade slightly, his anger subsiding. Perhaps Blaze had a point. He would just have to be patient, and await the day that he had been looking forward to for so long. The day when the ultimate destructive power in the Universe would be his to control.

*

In the lab of the Ultrastar headquarters, Amy; Andrew; Jessica and Simon stood around a table, examining the device that they had retrieved from the forest. Just then, the door slid open. Jack made his way through on crutches, followed in by Steven and Katrina.

“Hey,” Simon greeted his friend, “how’s the ankle?”

“Luckily it’s not as bad as we first thought” Katrina reported. “Pretty minor really, as long as he keeps the weight off it for a couple of days.”

Jack smiled: “I’ll be back on form in no time at all.”

“Good to hear” replied Andrew.

“And congratulations are in order for you, Jessica” Steven told her. “You handled yourself well out there. Well done.”

Jessica blushed slightly: “I just did what had to be done, sir.”

“Well sir,” began Simon, gesturing to the table, “here’s what we found in the forest.”

Steven walked over to take a look at the device. He instantly noticed the saw blade design imprinted on it. Immediately he let out a sigh:

“So,” he spoke, “they’ve started.”

“Excuse me sir, but do you know what this is?” asked Katrina.

“This,” Steven continued, pointing to the saw symbol, “is the logo of the Razers. They’re a group of rebel freedom fighters who like to try and fight the bad guys. Quite a similar operation to the Silver Guardians actually, except they’re not exactly an official group. I knew that there were plans to form the Razers, but last I heard, they weren’t active yet.”

“Well, the discovery of this thing seems to suggest otherwise” said Simon.

“Indeed” agreed Steven. “This is a scanning device. My guess is that the Razers placed it in the forest to detect any signs of alien activity.”

“And with the battle we’ve just had against Archangel, they’ve definitely detected some of that now!” Jessica realised.

Steven nodded: “Keep your eyes peeled, Rangers. Pretty soon, we might have some new players in the game.”

bushwacka666

06-07-2005, 09:21 AM

The Rangers are introduced to the new side in the battle, the Razers. But can they help the Rangers out, or will they prove to be more of a hindrance? Meanwhile, especially after Jessica's success at learning some moves, Jack's difficulty at reaching black belt is starting to get to him.

Zord_Crazy

06-07-2005, 11:57 AM

Loving it, BW! MY "Ranger-Sense" makes me wonder if a 6th Ranger is gonna come from the Razers camp? Hmmmm....

bushwacka666

06-17-2005, 07:53 AM

“Alright then Jack, give us a twirl.”

Jack did as the General instructed him, taking a few steps around the medical bay before balancing on one foot and performing a quick spin.

“Feels just fine” Jack announced. “My ankle seems to be back on form now.”

“Yeah, the medical guys really know what they’re doing” Steven agreed. “And I thought the old team at Station X were the best in the business.”

“Station X? The group who recruited you as the Primal Ranger?”

“Yeah, but that was a long time ago – over seven years! Sometimes it’s better to just keep the past in the past.”

Jack raised an eyebrow quizzically at the General’s comment. Ever since he had been given his Ultrastar powers, he had always felt like there was something General Bennet wasn’t telling him or the other Rangers. Something he was holding back. But Jack had no proof to back up this theory. Maybe he was just reading too much into things.

“Anyway,” Steven continued, “I’m glad to have you back on active duty Jack. We need to have all five of our Rangers ready and waiting when the time comes.”

“It’s good to be back sir. When the next attack happens, I’ll be ready.”

As if on cue, the alarm blared into life throughout the Ultrastar HQ. Steven and Jack gave each other a quick glance, before running towards the main control centre.

“What’s the situation?” asked Steven as they entered the room.

“Our Rangers are under attack sir,” Katrina informed him, “ambushed by some kind of wasp monster.”

Steven observed the screen. Sure enough, the other four Rangers were morphed in the park, trying to fend off a large yellow and black furry creature with wings.

“Why didn’t they call in for help?” asked Jack.

“The monster probably wouldn’t give them the chance” replied Katrina. “They’re really taking a beating.”

Steven turned towards Jack: “You’d better get going.”

“Right” Jack replied with a nod. Stepping away from the crowd, he activated his Ultra Morpher:

“Ultra-Op, Engage!”

*

In the park, the other Rangers staggered across the grass to regroup, clutching their chests as they tried to suppress the pain. Just a few feet away, the wasp monster made a little excited jiggle of victory, his mouth emitting random buzzing monotones.

“Izzz that all you’ve got, Rangerzzz?” taunted the monster.

“I’ve had enough of this insect!” exclaimed Simon. He ran in to attack again, but the monster was too quick, avoiding Simon’s punches and then trapping him in a tight grip.

“You cannot beat Waspox, Ranger” the monster sneered. “Now it izzz time to send you to the Wasp-ital.”

Waspox shoved Simon away, followed by swift swipe to the chest that sent him stumbling back to the others.

“Super Stingers!” the creature announced, firing off a shower of missiles from his claws and grounding the Rangers again.

“Man that is one strong monster” gasped Andrew, still on his back.

“Who comes out with some really lame puns” added Amy.

Waspox began to walk towards them again, only to be distracted by several laser blasts striking him from the sky. The group turned to see Jack leap onto the scene, descending with a flying kick and knocking the monster down.

“Back off, bee!” he warned.

Waspox quickly scrambled back to his feet: “Don’t insult me! I’m a wasp.”

“Jack!” called out Jessica from the side. “Watch out!”

Unfortunately the warning came too late. Waspox fired off his Super Stingers again, and without enough time to react, Jack was quickly blasted back. Quick to recover, however, Jack moved back in. Now it was Waspox on the defensive, as Jack used a variety of his martial arts kicks and punches.

The other Rangers now returned to their feet, ready for another round.

“Let’s give him a hand guys” announced Simon. The others agreed, and proceeded to run to the Green Ranger’s aid. Waspox saw all five Rangers advancing towards him, and knew that he might need a little extra help.

“Don’t count your chickenzzz before they’re hatched, Rangerzzz” he threatened. “Reptolitezzz!”

On command, a large group of the soldiers appeared around Waspox, blocking the Rangers’ direct path to him. The Rangers skidded to a halt, realising they now had to rethink their battle strategy.

“Looks like he just evened up the stakes” said Jack. “Simon, what’s the plan?”

“I’m guessing Waspox is just trying to buy himself some time” replied Simon. “He’ll be standing back and watching the action. So let’s sort out the Reptolites first, and then we’ll take care of him.”

“Right” the others responded, now advancing on the Reptolites.

*

“I have to admit it,” remarked Blaze, “this latest monster of yours is quite impressive.”

“Yep you’re right” agreed Screech. “This one’s really got a sting in his tail.”

Squawk chuckled at his associate’s joke as he added: “We are so good.”

“You get lucky!” snapped Lizzax, approaching them. “Those Rangers, annoying as they may be, are quite skilled at their job. When one of your monsters manages to gain the upper hand, I feel that this relative progress is only coincidental.”

Squawk’s head turned to whisper into Screech’s ear: “The Rangers might be skilled at their job, but aren’t we?”

Screech opened her mouth to reply, but Lizzax cut them off:

“Do not let your ego get carried away with you, fools! For if you fail me this time, you will not like the consequences.”

Blaze winced slightly – he didn’t like the sound of that.

*

Back at the park, Andrew and Amy were blasted back to the ground for what must have been the hundredth time. The Reptolites were all over the place, and they were getting seriously outnumbered. Looking over, they saw Jack and Jessica also getting beat back by the soldiers. Meanwhile, Simon made a move towards Waspox, but again the Reptolites were there, blocking his path and holding him away from the monster.

“Sorry,” Waspox chortled, “not this time.”

Waspox fired off a narrow stream of laser blasts from his mouth, landing a direct strike on Simon and blasting him to the ground.

The Rangers regrouped once more, as the opposing force began to close in on them.

“Well this is going well…” quipped Jack.

“Where’s the cavalry when you really need it?” Simon chimed in.

“ATTACK!” cried a sudden new voice. Everyone – Rangers and aliens – looked over towards the source of the noise. Then, it happened: a large group of people dived out from behind trees and bushes, charging towards them.

“What the…?” began Andrew, but trailed off in his astonishment.

The new arrivals quickly brought out pistol weapons of some kind, opening fire on the Reptolites and shooting them down. From the Rangers’ viewpoint, all they could make out were literally dozens of these men clad in black military-type uniforms, complete with black caps on their heads. Simon was reminded slightly of the Silver Guardians, but these were no officers from his old group.

The newcomers continued using their blasters, purposely aiming for the Reptolites’ weak spot – the head – and swiftly thinning out the numbers. They then opened fire on Waspox, blasting him down with multiple shots.

“Hey, where did this swarm come from?” cried a bewildered Waspox. “I’ll buzz off for now, but this izzzn’t over!”

Promptly flapping his wings, Waspox took to the skies, flying over the trees and out of sight before anybody could stop him.

The strangers took out the last remaining Reptolites, then placed their blasters back into their holsters. One of them wore a green cap instead of a black one, and he now stepped up to the Rangers.

“Are you okay, Rangers?” he asked them.

“Err…” Simon began, still a little confused. “Yeah….thanks.”

The man smiled: “No problem. It looked like you could use a little help.”

Andrew glanced at the symbol on the man’s cap: a circular saw-blade design.

“Hey,” he said, “you’re the Razers.”

“Oh so you have heard of us? The Captain figured you might. Yeah we’re the Razers. I’m Lieutenant Samsa. We picked up that wasp thing in the area and went to check it out. Wasn’t sure if you guys were around or not though.”

“Our General tells us that you’re not exactly a legitimate outfit” Jack told him.

“We’re just a bunch of people who want to make a difference” replied Samsa with another smile.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Amy joined in. “I mean, going up against creatures like that is a dangerous job unless you’re prepared for it.”

Samsa’s smile dulled slightly, his brow shifting into an offended frown: “Hey we can handle ourselves. We bailed you out, didn’t we?”

“Hey look, it’s not that we’re not grateful” Jack insisted. “We appreciate the help, really. But the Pink Ranger does have a point. I just hope you’re not going in over your heads with this.”

“Don’t worry about us, Green Ranger. You just get on with your jobs, and let us get on with ours.”

Lieutenant Samsa left the conversation at that, walking away from the Rangers.

“Okay Razers, let’s move out!” he called to his team as they started to leave the park.

“Well, General Bennet was right” said Jessica. “He had a feeling these guys might put in an appearance sooner or later.”

“Come on,” Simon said, “let’s get back to HQ. The General will want to hear about this.”

*

“Well then,” began Steven, sitting down behind the desk in his office, “it would appear that the Razers are well and truly in business.”

“Yes sir” replied Amy. “There were quite a few of them.”

“And that was probably only a small amount of their ranks” Steven continued. “I’m sure their numbers are quite large.”

“Maybe not quite as many as the Silver Guardians have,” added Simon, “but the group at the park were definitely on the same scale as a standard Guardian patrol.”

“The Razers are still – for lack of a better word – an amateur group” Katrina informed the Rangers. “They’re just members of the everyday public who volunteered for this. Technically speaking, it’s not even legal. They’ve got no authoritative work permit like the Guardians have, I’m sure none of their guys own any licence for those firearms…”

“Okay Katrina, calm down” Steven told her.

“Sorry sir. It just makes me a bit nervous when there’s a group like that out there without the proper necessary background.”

“I understand, Katrina” Jack spoke up. “Although, rebel group or not, I’ve got to admit that I’m glad they showed up when they did. We really needed the help, and they gave it.”

“Their intentions are well-founded” said Steven. “They want to do some good in this world, and fair enough – you can never have too many people like that. But I wonder if most of them have the discipline they need. Especially considering who their leader is…”

“You mean that Samsa guy?” asked Jessica.

Andrew shook his head: “He was in charge of that group, but I think even he mentioned something about a Captain.”

“General,” Amy asked him, “you know the Razers’ leader?”

“Yes” Steven replied. “He’s a good man, but I have to admit that I have some doubt over his credentials to command and influence a group like that.”

“What’s the next move sir?” asked Simon.

“There’s not a lot you can do at the moment, until that monster shows up again. Don’t concern yourself too much with the Razers, we’ll deal with them as and when we come across them. For now, just go and relax a little. We’ll need you ready to go and fight again when Waspox resumes his attack.”

“Yes sir.”

*

Most of the Rangers made their way to the lounge area to rest. Jack, on the other hand, opted to pay a visit to the gym area. There he began working on his martial arts moves. Standing in one spot, he took a few deep breaths as he concentrated. Then, he leapt up, rotating in the air as he moved into a spinning kick. The move itself appeared fine, but unfortunately his landing didn’t go according to plan. Jack was unable to find a firm footing as he returned to earth, and uncontrollably staggered back a few steps, only just managing to regain his balance and prevent himself from toppling over.

Jack let out a sharp frustrated growl, angry with himself that he just couldn’t seem to get this move right. Returning to the centre of the mats, he assumed his stance to reattempt the same move. Again he performed the kick, but again he couldn’t find his balance upon landing. Then came a third attempt, with the same result. He gave a long depressed sigh as he buried his face into his hands.

“I thought the General told you to relax.”

Jack turned at the voice, seeing Katrina standing in the doorway. The Ultrastar technician gave a little smile as she made her way over.

“It’s not technically disobeying an order, is it?” Jack asked her.

“No I guess not. It was still some good advice though.”

“I just wanted to get some practice in.”

“Are you meant to get that worked up over practice?”

“What do you mean?”

“Jack, I saw you. You were wearing yourself out.”

“It’s just this one move. I’ve been trying to do it for ages, and I’ve just got to get it right.”

“Not much chance of that if you collapse from exhaustion!” Katrina challenged.

“I know, but I really have to do this. I’ll never reach black belt if I can’t.”

“Yeah I understand. I felt the same way when I was trying for my blue belt.”

Jack displayed a surprised expression: “You do martial arts?”

Katrina grinned slightly: “Oh I know a thing or two. But listen: I’m just blue belt, you’re red. You should know to have more patience with these things, shouldn’t you?”

Jack sighed: “I think it’s the lessons I’m giving Jessica that bothers me a little. I mean, she’s pretty much a novice at martial arts, and she was having a bit of trouble. But when she had to fight Archangel in the forest, she was able to pull off the moves she needed. If she can make a breakthrough like that, why can’t I?”

All Katrina could do was shrug her shoulders – she admitted that she didn’t know.

“I know the moves that Jessica’s learning are pretty basic compared to mine,” Jack continued, “but I’m still meant to be up to the challenge.”

“You’re a really great martial artist, Jack” Katrina told him. “And you know it, so stop being so hard on yourself. I’m sure you’ll be able to do it someday. It’s why a challenge is called a challenge – it’s not meant to be easy. But it makes it all the more worthwhile when you finally conquer it.”

“I guess you’re right. You know Katrina, General Bennet is the one that guides us, but you’re not such a bad mentor yourself.”

Katrina gave a small chuckle: “Well I am the same age as you guys, remember? Maybe I can relate to you on a level that the General can’t.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

“Come on, go to the lounge and wait with the others. You’re not going to do yourself any favours by tiring yourself here.”

Jack nodded in agreement: “Ok.”

*

Meanwhile, Lizzax took the time to review footage of Waspox’s previous battle against the Rangers. He was no fool: he could see the success that Waspox had been having. Aided by the Reptolites, the monster was making light work of the Rangers, overpowering them with his Super Stingers and not allowing them many chances to recover.

And then these new arrivals suddenly stormed onto the scene. A squad of humans wearing these identical black uniforms and wielding blaster weapons. They appeared to be normal civilians without any apparent form of superhuman ability, but it was their sheer numbers that had quickly overpowered Waspox and the Reptolites.

Lizzax found himself more confused than angry as he turned away from the screen. Just who were these intruders in his affairs?

“So,” he asked of his subordinates, “you have no idea who these humans are?”

“Regretfully no, my Lord” Blaze confessed. “I have never seen them before.”

“And we can find no mention of them on any of the city’s information sources” added Squawk.

“Well whoever they are, their meddling must not be allowed to continue” announced Lizzax. “It’s bad enough that I have to put up with those pesky Rangers, without anybody else standing in my way. Technicals: order Waspox to find these humans and capture them. I do not want them interfering again.

“Understood, my Lord” replied Screech. “We’ll give Waspox his orders immediately.”

*

It just so happened that a small group of the Razers were currently patrolling the streets in the city. About eight officers made their way through one of the back alleys, on the lookout for any sign of trouble. Lieutenant Samsa was one of these eight, leading the group. His eyes shifted purposefully from side to side.

“Anybody see anything unusual?” he asked the group.

He received no reply.

“Guys?” he asked again, turning around to look behind him.

There he saw the rest of his group, backed up against the wall in fear as several Reptolites began to close in on them.

“Oh no you don’t…” Samsa snarled, quickly reaching for his blaster. A few shots took down two of the soldiers, but the others managed to avoid the lasers. One Reptolite suddenly turned and practically roared into his face. The startled Samsa stumbled backwards – straight into the waiting arms of Waspox.

“Hello,” the creature announced, “I’m pleazzzed to meet you again.”

Before Samsa could voice any sort of reply, Waspox and the Reptolites teleported away, taking the Razers with them.

*

Moments later, and the alarm sounded at the Ultrastar HQ. The Rangers quickly made their way to the main control centre. Steven was already waiting for them inside:

“Rangers, we’ve got trouble.”

“Is it Waspox?” Jessica asked.

“Yes. A few moments ago, our surveillance systems picked up a small group of the Razers patrolling the city streets. That’s when we witnessed Waspox and the Reptolites arrive and ambush them.”

“Are they okay?” enquired Andrew.

“They weren’t physically harmed, but they were captured and taken somewhere. We’re running a search for them now. But what Lizzax will do to them is anyone’s guess.”

“We’ve got to help them” Amy told the others, who nodded their response.

“I agree,” replied Steven, “but we can’t do anything about it until we find them. In the meantime, Waspox is now launching another attack as we speak. Take a look.”

Steven gestured to a screen in front of him. The other Rangers observed Waspox performing some low-level flying through the streets, his small wings supplying surprising speed. Civilians moved as fast as they could to avoid the creature’s flight path, either by running or literally diving clear. Mass panic spread through the area as the large wasp buzzed its way through the crowd.

“Well I can see why they’re terrified” quipped Jack. “Nobody wants to see a sight like that during their weekly shopping.”

“We have to stop him,” Andrew realised, “as well as try and rescue the Razers.”

“We’ll keep searching for them, and contact you when we track them down” Steven informed them. “For now, you’d better go after Waspox.”

“Right,” Simon agreed, “but look at the speed that thing’s moving at. Are we even going to be able to keep up with it?”

Steven thought for a moment: “Tell you what: meet Katrina in the lab, I’ll let her know you’re coming. She’s got something for you that should help to even the odds.”

*

The Rangers entered the lab. They were now morphed into their suits, but with their helmets removed and tucked under their arms. Katrina stood waiting for them:

“Hey guys, General Bennet called and said you were coming. Apparently you need a little speed solution.”

“Yeah” Simon confirmed. “That wasp thing is really making a run for it.”

“Or rather, fly for it” joked Andrew.

“Don’t worry,” said Katrina, “I’ve got just the thing. Follow me.”

“They’re some kind of vehicles, right?” Jessica guessed. “All the Ranger teams get these really cool bikes!”

Katrina chuckled: “Vehicles? Yes. Bikes? Far from it...”

Katrina and the Rangers rounded a corner, where they now came face to face with five relatively large machines. The majority of the vehicles were designed much like a form of dune buggy, with a seat and steering wheel, plus two bars that curved overhead from the roof to the front, with a windscreen in the middle. Each vehicle was in the colour of its respective Ranger. However, their most distinguishing feature were two large rotary fans – one at each side – being used instead of wheels.

The Rangers whistled their approval of their new vehicles, quickly running over to inspect them more closely.

“Well guys, these are the MantaStars” Katrina announced. “I’ve only been working on them for a few months, and I had to do some quick last-minute adjustments when General Bennet told me you needed them now, but they’re revved up and ready to go.”

“They’re awesome!” Amy exclaimed.

“You can say that again” Jack added.

“They’re awesome!” Amy insisted again.

“The afterburners at the back will give you the propulsion,” continued Katrina, “while the fans provide the lift. You’re never touching the ground so it really cuts down on any friction, which helps you to reach the fastest speed possible. You can also adjust the fans’ power to some extent. You can’t exactly fly with these things, but you will be able to have some level of control over how high above the ground you’re hovering.”

“Alright guys,” Simon announced to the others, “let’s go wasp-swatting!”

*

In the streets of Water Rose City, the Rangers put their brand new MantaStars through their paces, making them speed along in order to catch up with their target. Indeed they were making no contact with the road below, but the combined force of their ten fans sent the discarded paper and trash scattering in all directions. As civilians watched the Rangers approach, they felt simultaneously relieved that they were on the case and bewildered by their new vehicles. However, this could only last for a split second, as the Rangers were gone again in the blink of an eye.

“I am loving this!” Andrew called out from his seat.

“Me too Andrew, but let’s focus here” Simon reminded him. “Is anybody picking up Waspox?”

“I think I’ve got the little critter just a couple of hundred metres dead ahead” reported Jessica.

“In these things, we can cover that distance in no time” said Amy.

Simon nodded: “So let’s go!”

The Rangers increased their speed, and managed to catch up with the rampaging Waspox within moments. Waspox noticed the Rangers closing in behind him, but although he was surprised by their sudden arrival, he wouldn’t allow himself to become fazed. Aiming one of his claws behind him, he launched some Super Stingers towards the Rangers.

“Whoa, think fast!” Andrew warned, although it wasn’t necessary. The Rangers were already swerving clear of the missiles. They blasted into the middle of the road as the MantaStars sharply glided around them.

“Return fire, Rangers” Simon ordered. The team activated the laser cannons installed on their MantaStars, sending a wide barrage of multi-coloured laser fire in the monster’s direction. However, Waspox narrowly managed to escape the brunt of the attack, and continued to fly ahead.

“Rangers” a voice suddenly spoke over the MantaStars’ communication system. “Rangers, this is General Bennet. We’ve located the captured Razers. They’re being held by some Reptolites, in a cave just on the outskirts of the city.”

“Jack,” Simon called out, “go and rescue the Razers. We’ll handle things here.”

“I’m on it” agreed Jack, veering his MantaStar to the side and away from the others.

“Amy; Andrew: try and flank Waspox’s sides. I don’t want to give him any room to avoid our lasers.”

“Right” came their joint reply.

“Jessica: try and increase your height and attack him from above. If he flies up too high, he’ll be out of our range, so make sure he doesn’t.”

“Got it.”

*

Within minutes, Jack arrived on the outskirts of the city, guided by an electronic map displayed on a screen on his control panel. He could see the cave in front of him, with a group of Reptolites guarding outside.

“Ah what the hell…” he muttered, then opened fire. The MantaStar’s cannons pummelled into the middle of the Reptolite group, swiftly blasting them down. Jack brought his MantaStar to a halt at the cave entrance, climbing out and venturing inside. A few more Reptolites surrounded the eight captured Razers who had been tied up with some rope. They all looked up as they saw the Green Ultrastar Ranger arrive and fend off the other Reptolites. His skilled fighting abilities made short work of the few lone soldiers.

“It’s okay guys, you’re safe now” he told the Razers, stepping behind them and untying the rope.

“Thanks Green Ranger,” Lieutenant Samsa expressed his gratitude, “we appreciate the help.”

Jack nodded his acknowledgment with a nod: “This makes us even.”

“We’d better get back to the base” Samsa told the other Razers.

“What about that wasp monster?” one of them asked.

“Don’t worry,” replied Jack, “the other Rangers have it covered.”

*

Back in the city streets, the Rangers had indeed gained the upper hand. Waspox had nowhere to hide as Amy and Andrew restricted his sideways movement, while Simon continued his pursuit from behind. Waspox attempted to fly higher to escape, but a quick round of cannon fire from Jessica prevented him from getting far.

“Alright guys,” Simon announced to the others, “let’s end this. Aim all cannons at the target and switch to full power.”

The four MantaStars quickly shifted into position. Waspox was now free to move again, but the time needed to do so was not a luxury that the Rangers would allow him.

Simon took a breath: “Alright. Locked on…”

“…Fire!” the Rangers declared together, blasting their cannons together. One final buzz of defeat was all that Waspox could manage, as the combined firepower of the Rangers’ four vehicles sent him to his final end.

*

At the end of a hard day, Amy; Andrew; Jessica and Simon returned to their normal lives to rest. Jack, on the other hand, had remained at the Ultrastar HQ. His initial intention had been to hit the gym and work on that spinning kick again, but had decided against it when he remembered his earlier talk with Katrina. He was now relaxing in the lounge, when Steven came and sat down opposite him.

“Hi sir” Jack greeted his superior.

“Jack” replied Steven, accompanied with a nod. “Hey good work today, by the way. You did well.”

“Thanks. Those MantaStars really helped us this time though.”

Steven smiled: “They are pretty cool, aren’t they? Like we said when you were first recruited, Ultrastar’s Ranger project is pulling out all the stops – and you’ve only just scratched the surface at the moment!”

“Well then, I look forward to digging a little deeper! By the way, what are we going to do about the Razers?”

“Not much we can do. We don’t know where their base is, so we can’t pay them a visit. We’re not really in any position to stop them doing anything. I wouldn’t worry about them too much, Jack. Maybe there could be some loose cannons in their ranks, but they’re not enemies. They might even be of help in some battles.”

“Do you have any way to contact them? You said you know their Captain, right?”

“Yeah I do know him,” Steven confirmed, “but I haven’t actually seen him or heard from him in a few years. He went his own way and formed the Razers. I don’t know how to contact him now. But now the Razers are active, maybe we’ll cross paths again at some point.”

A few seconds of silence passed, before Steven changed the subject:

“Oh yes, Katrina filled me in about your practice in the gym earlier. Apparently you were pushing yourself a little hard.”

“Yeah I know” Jack sighed. “I just get so annoyed when I keep messing that move up. I’ve just got to get my black belt!”

Steven raised an eyebrow: “You say that as if being a red belt means absolutely nothing! It’s only one level below, remember?”

“I know, and don’t get me wrong, I am proud of my red belt. It’s just that ever since I started martial arts, black belt is what I’ve been working towards – my ultimate goal. To do fine all the way up until now, and then face this hurdle right at the end, is just a little frustrating.”

“I understand how you feel. Can I let you in on a little secret?”

“What?”

“I had the exact same trouble. It wasn’t the same move as yours, but no matter how many times I tried, I couldn’t get it right. It was the only thing stopping me from reaching black belt.”

“So what did you do?”

“I waited, that’s all. Jack, everything that’s meant to happen, will happen in the end. Don’t try and rush it through, just be patient. When that day comes, the reward will be worth it.”

Jack nodded. Maybe the General had a point.

“It’s getting late” Steven told him. “Go home and get some rest.”

“Good idea” replied Jack. “Goodnight sir.”

Jack left, only to be replaced by Katrina who stepped from around the opposite corner. She had overheard the conversation.

“I thought you told me you never had any problems reaching black belt” she said to Steven.

“Managed it first time” Steven admitted the truth. “But that wasn’t what Jack needed to hear right now. If he thinks someone else had the same problem and managed to overcome it, maybe it’ll give him the confidence he needs.”

“Sneaky. Anyway, you were telling the truth about one thing – it is getting late. I’m heading home, what about you?”

“I’m going to stick around for a while.”

“Going down to the Vault again?”

“Yeah.”

“Sir, I know you need to pay these visits, but try not to stay there too long, alright? You need some rest yourself.”

“I know, I won’t. Goodnight Katrina.”

“Goodnight sir.”

Katrina walked out the door, leaving Steven alone in the HQ. He let out a long sigh: he had claimed that he wouldn’t stay in the Vault for long, but he knew he was lying.

bushwacka666

06-17-2005, 07:55 AM

Amy's confidence has been shattered ever since her injury during Olympic gymnastics training. But when Simon is put in danger, can she overcome her fears in time to save him?

Flying gg

06-17-2005, 10:36 AM

Back from the deads to enjoy your work, my friend. And it is truly a good work !
I saw you need a logo, maybe I can do something ?

PS : I secretly hope to see Steve kicking some aliens' ass... ^^

Zord_Crazy

06-17-2005, 10:39 AM

LOL....sneaky SOB that Bennet. But it was what Jack needed to hear. Good work, BW! *hands him plate of virtual cookies*

bushwacka666

06-18-2005, 04:55 AM

Back from the deads to enjoy your work, my friend. And it is truly a good work !
I saw you need a logo, maybe I can do something ?

*waves* Hello there m8, long time no see. :) Glad you're enjoying it - a lot more to come!

As for a logo: yes indeed I'm in need of one. If you're able to help me out, that would be great. I've got something pretty specific in mind though, so please get back to me on that.

*hands him plate of virtual cookies*

Oooooooooh... :o

And virtual milk? Dear god please tell me there's some virtual milk!!

Flying gg

06-18-2005, 07:46 AM

As for a logo: yes indeed I'm in need of one. If you're able to help me out, that would be great. I've got something pretty specific in mind though, so please get back to me on that.
You can mail me : flying_gg(at)walla.com
I'll see what I can do. ^^

bushwacka666

06-29-2005, 04:13 PM

Alrighty: been majorly busy lately and haven't had time to post the next chapter... but here it is! :023:

bushwacka666

06-29-2005, 04:15 PM

The Rangers found the gym area in the HQ a fine place to train and practice – that is what it was designed for, after all. For Amy, however, even the advanced technological methods that Ultrastar provided could not fulfil all of her needs. When it came to her gymnastics, the local gym of Water Rose City was far more suited for the task.

This is where the Rangers were at the moment. Amy was currently practicing a routine on the bar, clad in a bright pink leotard. Jessica; Jack and Andrew sat watching from the side, also joined by their recently-made friend Nikita. Simon was at the café area gathering up the last drinks for the group.

Amy made her way back and forth along the bar, taking delicate steps and pivoting around on her toes. Her face was one of concentration as she swiftly leapt up, performing a half-turn in the air while extending her legs in a scissor motion, and lowering them down in time to make a perfectly balanced landing back on the bar. She was able to perform this manoeuvre three times in rapid succession. From the seats at the side, the others looked on, expressions of impressed amazement on their faces. Simon returned with the tray of drinks, also observing:

“Whoa,” he exclaimed, “that’s incredible!”

Jessica nodded her agreement: “She can really move huh?”

“I’ll say!”

Amy brought her routine to its conclusion, Standing at one end of the bar, she took a deep breath, then moved into several back-flips across. Upon reaching the other end, she leapt off, twisting through a few rapid somersaults before making a perfect landing on the mat.

Loud applause instantly arose from Amy friends. She gave a little smile as she made her way back over to them.

“That was great Amy!” Andrew cheered.

“Yeah,” Nikita agreed, “I’ve never seen moves like that before – you’re a pro!”

Amy laughed: “Thanks, but it’s nothing special. I just like to keep on form.” She looked around: “No drink for me?”

“Oh sorry,” Simon apologised, “I didn’t think about it because you were busy on the bar.”

“That’s ok, I’ll go and get one.”

Amy walked over to the bar. A few seconds passed before Simon realised that he had the money, and followed Amy over so he could pay for her drink.

“Hey Amy,” he got her attention, “those really were some amazing moves you were doing there. I was really impressed.”

“Thanks,” Amy replied with a slight blush, then added, “It was nothing.”

“Well it didn’t look like nothing to me. Seriously, how do you do all that?”

“It takes a lot of focus and concentration, and practice makes perfect… chocolate milkshake, please…” she deviated briefly to order her drink. “And remember, I was supposed to be on the Olympic team – I’ve had some of the best gymnastic training that the world has to offer.”

“Don’t you ever miss it?” Simon asked her. “Competing, I mean?”

“I’ve put all that behind me. I’m not going to get back into all that again.”

“Oh come on,” Simon pressed, putting the money for the drink on the counter, “I know it couldn’t have been easy to pull out of the Olympics after that injury of yours, but that wouldn’t happen again.”

Amy let out a sigh as she picked up her drink: “Yeah? Well somehow I don’t think so.”

“But you…”

“Simon, just drop it already!”

Amy left things at that, quickly walking away back to the others. Simon mentally cursed himself: he had just hit a nerve, that much was clear. Amy obviously still had some issues surrounding her withdrawal from the Olympic competition, and obviously she didn’t like anybody bringing it up. He just hoped he hadn’t seriously upset her.

*

Unfortunately for Simon, it appeared as if he might have done just that. As the Rangers said goodbye to Nikita and made their way to the Ultrastar HQ, Amy appeared to be giving him the cold shoulder all the way. Needless to say, the others noticed it too, but thought it best not to mention it in front of her.

They entered HQ, making their way to the lounge area. As they arrived, they passed Steven:

“Hello Rangers” he greeted them.

The Rangers gave a friendly “hello sir” in return, except for Amy, who just voiced a short “hi” before heading straight for the restroom. Steven turned to watch her go, raising an eyebrow at her apparent irritated mood. He turned back to the others:

“Was it something I said?”

“No sir, it was something I said, actually” replied Simon.

Steven motioned him over with his finger. Simon walked over to have a quiet word:

“What’s going on?” Steven asked him.

“We were at the gym earlier and Amy was practicing her gymnastics. I sort of suggested that she should get back into competing again, and she kind of bit my head off for it. She’s been avoiding me ever since.”

Steven nodded – apparently he understood.

“Simon, you must understand that her confidence has really taken a hit here. If I remember correctly, she never actually got to compete in the Olympics, did she? She received her injury during her final training session and had to withdraw.”

“That’s right. But I figured she’d still want to compete, even though that first chance was taken away from her. All the more reason to get back into it, right?”

“Perhaps, but the point is that she doesn’t feel she can. If I had to take a guess, I’d say that she feels that awkward landing she made wasn’t something that should’ve happened to her at that stage in her career – she thought she was beyond things like that. Then she finds out that she’s not.”

“But it was just an accident. Surely it could’ve happened to anyone.”

“But it didn’t happen to anyone, it happened to her” Steven challenged. “Maybe other people can see that, but they’re outside spectators. When it actually happens to you, then it’s an entirely different story.”

Simon sighed: he saw the General’s point. Amy must have been devastated when she was forced to pull out of the Olympics, and even though the physical injury would have long since healed, the psychological scars have surely remained. Simon now felt like such an idiot: he should have realised how hard it must have been for her, but he did not. And then he goes and opens his big mouth…

“I didn’t mean to upset her…” he protested.

“I’m sure you didn’t” Steven answered with a reassuring smile. “You’re Amy’s friend. You only want what’s best for her – what’s wrong with that?”

“But what am I going to do now? I mean, she’s not even talking to me!”

“True, but I doubt she can keep that up forever. Give her some time. Sooner or later she’ll realise what a good friend you are to her. Until then, just hang in there, ok?”

“Yes sir. Thanks.”

*

On board his ship, Lord Lizzax was pondering. Pondering over his quest for power and domination. His mission to gain the Hydra’s Teeth, the energy source that would activate his ultimate weapon. He pondered over his current situation. The Rangers who opposed him. The apparent lack of competence of the monsters that were sent to attack them, and of the Technicals who were responsible for creating these monsters.

He wondered why the Hydra’s Teeth had to be on a planet with all of these Rangers running around. He supposed it was too much to ask for them to be hidden on a deserted planet where nothing could stand in his way. But then where would the challenge be? What struggle would be worth the objective? Lizzax realised that not even beings of evil got everything easy. They too had to face tough times.

“My Lord,” Screech suddenly called from the distance, “tell us how we can serve you.”

“Yes,” added Squawk, “tell us the kind of monster that you would like to send down to Earth next, and we shall be more than happy to fulfil those requirements.”

“At this precise moment in time, I have no requirements of you two” Lizzax snapped at them. “Your monsters constantly fail me, and your progress at locating any Teeth is virtually non-existent!”

“My Lord, we have already informed you that our equipment takes time to detect the Teeth” Screech protested. “We sincerely wish that this detection was instant, but unfortunately the delay cannot be helped.”

“I see. And do you have any excuses for the quality of your monsters?”

“Um, everyone has teething problems…” replied Squawk with a weak laugh.

Lizzax sighed irritably, then fired a small laser beam from his hand to deliver a minor shock to the Technicals.

“Get out of my sight, you two” he barked at them. “We shall try a different tactic this time… Blaze!”

“Yes, my Lord?” the general immediately spoke, stepping forward.

“Do you think you could do a better job of an attack then the dimwits that are created by the even bigger dimwits?”

Blaze let out a little chuckle, both amused and confident: “I am positive of it, my Lord.”

“Then I wish for you to prove it. Find those Rangers and bring great harm to them.”

“It would be my pleasure, my Lord. Especially if you would be so gracious as to allow me to pay particular attention to the Red Ranger. The hatred he holds for me will serve as an ideal target to manipulate.”

“I like the way you think Blaze. By all means, make him suffer!”

*

At the Ultrastar HQ, the Rangers and Steven were still relaxing in the lounge. At that point, Amy stood up, ready to leave.

“You’re going?” Jessica asked her.

“Yeah I’ve got to” she replied. “It’s my little cousin’s birthday party, and I promised I’d show up. I’m already a little late as it is.”

“Ok, see you later.”

Before Amy could leave, however, the alarm went off. Everyone else immediately got to their feet, ready to head to the control centre and see what the trouble was.

“Sir,” Amy spoke to Steven, “I know the timing couldn’t be worse, but my parents will kill me if I don’t show up for this party. I have to get going.”

“I understand if you’ve got a prior commitment” replied Steven. “Go ahead, the others will fight without you. But if they need some help, I will need you to be prepared to leave.”

“Understood sir, thanks. Good luck guys, see you later.”

Amy headed for the exit, while the others rushed to the control centre.

*

Morphed and ready, Jessica; Jack; Andrew and Simon steered their MantaStars into the old abandoned factory that was situated at the far north end of the city. Climbing out of their vehicles, the Rangers grouped and stared up at the building before them.

“I don’t get it” Jack began. “Why would Lizzax launch an attack in an abandoned building? What would he have to gain?”

“I don’t know,” replied Simon, “but that doesn’t really matter. What matters is that Blaze was spotted entering this factory, and we’ve got to go after him.”

“So let’s move” announced Jessica.

“Alright, but keep your eyes open huh? There’s no telling what that hot head’s up to.”

The others agreed. They hadn’t personally fought against Blaze that often, but the few times they had encountered him had been enough of a warning: he meant business. Together, the four Rangers made their way inside the factory. Little did they know that from the shadows, Blaze was watching, already aware of their arrival.

The Rangers entered the factory’s main area, a large open space with various walkways and scaffolding high above their heads. Looking around, the rust; dust and grime was clearly visible. It was easy to tell that the factory had been abandoned for quite some time.

“This place is disgusting” commented Jessica.

“Tell me about it” Andrew agreed. “A little creepy too.”

Suddenly, they were attacked from behind, several streams of fire striking their backs and knocking them to the ground. They turned around to see Blaze standing in the doorway that they had just walked through.

“Oh believe me, Blue Ranger,” he announced with a smirk, “things are about to get a lot more frightening than this…”

The Rangers clambered back to their feet, ready to take the general on.

“You know, you Rangers really are so predictable” Blaze continued. “One small sighting of your enemy and you come running. No thought as to what is going on, why they are there. You could be quite readily running towards your own funeral, and the thought wouldn’t even cross your mind until you take your last breath.”

“Well I think we’ve done pretty well so far!” Jack shot back.

“Perhaps, but I believe that is merely luck, and your luck cannot last forever. Besides, your past success has not come without sacrifices. Am I right, Red Ranger?”

Blaze gave Simon an evil grin. Simon knew exactly what he was talking about, and anger immediately began to fill him.

“You’d better watch what you say, Blaze” he warned, trying to force memories of Kyle from his mind. “This is not something I’m in the mood for!”

“Hey don’t get angry with me, I was just doing my job. Is it my fault if your friend couldn’t do his? That pathetic human deserved to die.”

“That’s it, I’ve had enough!” Simon roared, and instantly began to charge towards Blaze.

“Simon, don’t!” Jack called, trying to halt his friend. But Simon wasn’t listening. The only response he gave was to summon his weapons: “Ultra Gloves!”

Simon lunged forward with his Ultra Gloves, only to be blocked by Blaze who quickly summoned his sword. The two weapons noisily clashed, but Simon would not be deterred so easily. He did a swift sidestep and slammed one Ultra Glove into Blaze’s chest. The general took a few steps back but was quick to recover, bringing his sword forward once more and delivering a strong slash to the Red Ranger’s chest. The two opponents continued, their fight one of rage and revenge.

“Come on guys,” Jack told the others, “we’ve got to help him.”

The other three Rangers ran in, summoning their own Ultra Weapons into their grips:

“Ultra Rifle!”
“Ultra Staff!”
“Ultra Sword!”

Seeing that Blaze was advancing towards Simon again, Jessica fired her Ultra Rifle, blasting Blaze back and allowing her leader an opportunity to recover. Blaze snarled in frustration, only to see Jack and Andrew already standing opposite him. Andrew raised his Ultra Sword, clashing blades with the evil general. Blaze’s sword skills were highly impressive, but Andrew was just managing to hold his own. He was unable to land any hits of his own but at least he was preventing Blaze from making his.

Having enough of Andrew, Blaze applied pressure to his sword to push the Blue Ranger away, only to be replaced with his green team-mate. Jack whirled his Ultra Staff rapidly above his head, catching Blaze off guard before sending it crashing onto his head. Blaze growled from the strike but it would take a lot more than that to stop him. Jack knew it too, and brought the Ultra Staff up to attack again. This time Blaze was more prepared and began to strike back. Jack was managing to block his attacks, but hadn’t counted on Blaze suddenly lashing out with a low kick, slamming into Jack’s midsection and forcing him to the floor.

Jessica aimed her Ultra Rifle again and fired more blasts. Blaze received direct hits but seemed to be largely unaffected. In retaliation he thrust an arm in the Yellow Ranger’s direction and emitted a long stream of fire. The flames struck Jessica and she was blasted down. Simon now advanced again, literally diving forward and slamming the Ultra Gloves into the general. Blaze toppled backwards but was quick to return to his feet. As Simon charged once more, Blaze used one hand to make his sword block the attacks, while his other arm latched onto Simon and secured him tightly to one spot. Simon struggled as much as he could, grabbing onto Blaze’s arm and trying to pull it away, but the evil warrior was too strong.

“You fight with fury, a purpose fitting of a Red Ranger” Blaze told him. “I truly commend your efforts, but in the end it is of little help to your cause.”

“You keep pushing me Blaze, and you’ll see just how wrong you are!” Simon retorted, still struggling to free himself.

“Well you fight much better than your friend did…”

“Shut up! You didn’t know Kyle, and you never even gave him a chance!”

“Giving my enemy a chance is not part of my job description. Now enough of your blubbering!”

Blaze hacked his sword down onto Simon’s shoulder, prompting a cry of pain as he collapsed to the floor.

“Hold on Simon” called Andrew, him and the others regrouping and ready to come to his aid.

“Let’s find somewhere a little more close-quarters” Blaze said to the still weakened Simon, grabbing his arm and then making an impressively high jump. The general landed on one of the top walkways above, Simon still held fast in his grip.

“Simon, we’re coming up” Jessica called out. The others prepared to jump.

“Think again!” snarled Blaze, aiming his free hand towards the ground below. Fountains of fire immediately burst up around the Rangers, knocking them off their feet. The flames remained, swiftly spreading around them and limiting not only their movement but their visual range also. Rapid random fireballs also soared over their heads, and the heat forced them all into one spot.

“I have more control over fire than you could imagine, you fools!” Blaze chortled at them. “You are at my mercy!”

“We’ve got to get up there,” Jack told the others, his voice wavering in places due to the heat, “Simon needs us.”

“Those fireballs are moving way too fast, and there’s loads of them” cried Jessica, looking up. “We’ll only hurt ourselves if we try and jump – no good to anybody then!”

Andrew tried to peer through the flames, attempting to make out the flickering shapes: “I think the staircase is over there.”

Blaze just grinned, and gave a quick nod of his head….

The stairs instantly set ablaze, collapsing and crashing down mere seconds later.

“Well I guess that’s out of the question then…” Andrew muttered.

“We can’t just leave Simon up there with Blaze,” Jack cried, “we’ve got to get to him!”

Jessica brought up her arm, pressing the communication button on her Morpher:

“General, Katrina, anyone…” she practically shouted into it. “Call Amy, we need her!”

*

At her little cousin’s house, Amy was just stepping out of the upstairs bathroom when her Morpher beeped. Taking a quick cautious glance around, she went back into the bathroom and shut the door again before pressing the button:

“Go for Amy.”

“Amy,” came Steven’s voice, “the Rangers are in major trouble at the abandoned factory up north of the city. They need your help straight away.”

“My cousin’s party is kind of in full swing here, sir” she protested. “Are you sure it can’t wait for a little while.”

“No Amy, it can’t” Steven insisted. “I’m sorry to pull you out, but you must keep your priorities in mind.”

“I know” Amy sighed. “I’m on my way.”

Amy left the bathroom, running down the stairs as fast as she could, and heading for the door.

“Amy?” called a voice from the living room. “Where are you going?”

“Sorry Mum, I’ve got to go” Amy called back. “Something important just came up.”

“But the games are about to start.”

“I can’t stay. Sorry.”

Amy bolted out the door, not leaving her mum any time for further discussion. Quickly she ran around the corner, taking a look around and then bringing up her Morpher:

“Ultra-Op, Engage!”

*

Amy’s MantaStar came to a halt beside the others outside the factory. Already she could see a few errant flames flaring through the occasional window, and smoke pouring out of the doorway. The fire did not rise from the entire building, however. Amy guessed that this is the way Blaze wanted it – the more fire contained inside to harm the Rangers, the better.

Knowing her helmet would protect her from inhaling the smoke, Amy quickly ran into the factory. It only took her a few moments to reach the large open area. However, the large wall of flame surrounding the other Rangers prevented her from reaching them.

“Guys?” she called out.

“Amy!” came the trio of scattered replies.

Now knowing for sure the others were on the other side of the fire, Amy took a quick breath and dived through. Once she emerged on the other side, Andrew helped her to her feet.

“Amy, am I glad to see you!” exclaimed Jessica.

“What’s going on?” Amy asked. “And where’s Simon?”

“It’s Blaze” Andrew replied. “He’s got Simon up on one of the walkways up there.”

Amy followed where Andrew was pointing. Sure enough, through the speeding fireballs and the rippling air caused by the intense heat, she could make out Blaze on the top walkway, continuously slashing his sword into the chest of the severely weakened Simon. The Red Ranger’s body was virtually lifeless, and was being supported only by the wall. He was too weak to make any attempt to stop Blaze’s sword from its ongoing strikes.

“We’ve got to help him” Amy told the others.

“We’d love to,” replied Jessica, “but Blaze took out the stairs leading up there, and there’s no way we could get through all those fireballs that are speeding about – we’re not fast enough.”

“There’s got to be some way to get to them.”

“Blaze!” Jack called out. “Let him go!”

“Sorry Rangers, no can do!” Blaze yelled back, not stopping his onslaught. “I’m enjoying this too much! Your leader’s a sitting duck!”

It wasn’t easy to see through all the flames, but the more Amy looked, the more she could tell that Simon was in some serious trouble. Earlier today she had ignored Simon after their exchange of words at the gym. She had given him the cold shoulder, but with all this heat, there was no room for such things here! Right now, Simon needed help. She realised that despite everything, this was still her friend, and she couldn’t just stand by and let him take this punishment.

The others were insisting there was no way through to him, and looking at the present situation herself, she regretfully had to agree. With the speed and random flight pattern of those fireballs, it would take someone pretty fast to find their way through them.

Then, she spotted something. A bar that formed part of the scaffolding scattered around the room. And then another bar. And another, and another… They weren’t all in the most ideal positions she could have asked for, of course, but maybe she could pull it off. Just maybe. She had to try…

“What can we do?” Andrew asked nobody in particular. “Time’s running out.”

“I’m on it!” Amy suddenly declared, taking a few steps back.

“Amy…” Jessica began, a tone of worry in her voice, “what are you doing?”

Amy just took a deep breath, then a quick run forward, and leapt into the air.

All the others could do was look on as Amy latched on to the nearest scaffolding bar above her. Immediately she began to swing around, her body briefly rotating on the bar before she let go, flying across to the next. From the ground, Jessica; Jack and Andrew gazed on in awe as their team-mate quickly and gracefully made her way from bar to bar.

“She’s moving like it was that event they do in the Olympics” Jack realised. “She’s using her gymnastics training.”

“Some of those bars aren’t exactly angled according to Olympic regulations” Jessica noticed.

“Doesn’t seem to be holding her back!” replied Andrew.

Sure enough, Amy was gradually getting higher, swinging and flipping from one bar to the next. The others simultaneously held their breath as she reached the fireball ceiling above them, realising she would have to pass through it to reach the next bar. She swung on her current bar through a full 360 degrees and then let go, somersaulting in mid-air. One fireball was speeding directly towards her…

It missed by mere inches. Amy had already vacated the spot, latching onto the next bar. The three observing Rangers let out their held breath in unison as they saw she had made it through, and was now approaching the walkway at the top.

Blaze had been having too much fun attacking the defenceless Simon, that he hadn’t even noticed Amy’s rapid and daring escalation behind him. In fact, the first hint of it that he received was when she came slamming feet first into his back, causing him to stagger forward, losing balance and toppling over. Amy landed on the walkway on her back but almost instantly flipped back to her feet.

“Simon?” she called out, moving over to him. “Simon, can you hear me?”

“A… Amy…” Simon slurred back. Amy felt relieved that he was still in the land of the conscious, but she couldn’t allow herself to concentrate fully on it. Blaze was charging towards her in anger. She snapped into a defensive stance, keeping her cool as she fended the general off with a combo of kicks.

“Ultra Cannon!” she ordered, summoning her weapon and opening fire, directly blasting Blaze down with a barrage of laser energy.

“You still want to mess with my friends, Blaze?” she asked him. “I dare you to even try it!”

As Blaze struggled back to his feet, his infuriated glare seemed to radiate a fire even more intense than the real flames roaring around them.

“I’ll be leaving for now, Pink Ranger” Blaze told her. “But I will be back.”

“And we’ll be right back to stop you!” Amy shot back.

“Only if you can get out, that is…”

In a quick flash of light, Blaze disappeared. The fire, however, suddenly intensified to massive proportions. This time the Rangers all knew that the factory couldn’t stand up to this.

“The whole place is gonna blow!” shouted Andrew.

“Guys,” Amy called down to them, “get Simon’s MantaStar clear, then go back for yours. I’m bringing him down.”

“We can’t just leave you up there” said Jessica.

“I’m fine, go!”

Jessica; Jack and Andrew reluctantly complied, dashing for the exit. Amy grabbed Simon and carried him in her arms. She let out a little grunt as she took the weight:

“That’s it Si,” she groaned, “you’re going on a diet! On the other hand, I guess it’ll let us descend quicker…”

Amy leapt from the walkway, Simon being held tightly. Her gymnastics training, aided by her morphed state, allowed her to make a perfect and safe landing on the ground. With no time to waste, she ran as fast as she could. Reaching the outside and laying Simon on the back of her MantaStar, she quickly climbed into her seat and sped off. The factory exploded mere moments later, sending a huge cloud of fire and smoke into the air.

The Rangers had escaped just in the nick of time.

*

Back at the Ultrastar HQ, Simon rested on one of the beds at the medical bay. He had now regained most of his strength and seemed to be making a nice recovery. The only other two people in the room were Amy and Steven.

“How do you feel, Simon?” Steven asked him.

“Still a little groggy, I guess” Simon replied. “But a lot better than I was.”

“Well I’m glad to see you’re alright.”

“Yeah, well if it hadn’t been for Amy, I might not have been!”

“It was nothing…” Amy tried to shrug it off.

“That wasn’t nothing Amy” Steven insisted. “Your quick thinking and your bravery saved one of your fellow team-mates. You should be proud of yourself – I know I am.”

With a smile, Steven left the room, leaving Amy and Simon alone.

“Amy, I can’t believe I didn’t say this earlier, but thank you. I really owe you one.”

Amy smiled: “Don’t sweat it. I’m just glad you’re ok.”

“You know, I was pretty out of it at the time, but the others told me you started doing all these gymnastics flips to reach me.”

“Yeah.”

Simon chuckled: “And you worry about getting back into competing…”

“Simon…” Amy began to protest.

“Look I’m really sorry, I never meant to upset you earlier. I just think it’s a shame to let all that talent go to waste.”

“I know you meant well. Maybe I overreacted a bit, so I’m sorry too. It’s just that…” She trailed off.

“What?” Simon pressed. “You can tell me.”

“I’m scared, Simon. That one awkward landing… maybe it was an accident, but it shouldn’t have happened, not to someone trained for Olympics level. I’m scared that it will happen again. I know that I shouldn’t be, but I am. It really gets to me.” She paused for a moment. “I’ve… I’ve never admitted that to anyone before.”

“I understand, but you can’t let a one-off misfortune haunt you for the rest of your life. What I don’t understand is why, if it affects you this much, do you still do gymnastics at all? I mean, you don’t go anywhere near any type of competition, but you’re still happy to do it for fun.”

“I guess it’s because that when it’s just me, there’s nothing to lose. In competitions, in the Olympics… well it’s all for something, there’s a lot at stake. If I make a mistake then, everything’s lost. At least when I’m by myself, I don’t have to worry about that.”

“Sorry Amy, but I don’t think that’s strictly true.”

Amy didn’t understand: “Why not?”

“Well today wasn’t any kind of competition, was it? But there was still something at risk – me! And yet you put yourself on the line to rescue me, by doing the very same kind of gymnastics that gave you your injury in the first place!”

Now Amy thought about it, she realised Simon had a point: there had been no prize this time, no gold medals to work towards. But there had still been a goal to achieve – saving the life of a friend. If there was some sort of measurement of important things that could be lost, a human life would be pretty much at the top! But despite something like that hanging in the balance, Amy had taken it upon herself to rise to the challenge and do whatever she had to.

Suddenly, losing the chance of getting a gold medal didn’t seem so devastating anymore.

“I guess you’re right” she confessed. “I was responsible for either saving or failing to save a life, which is definitely a lot of pressure to be dealing with.”

“But you came through. So, you think you might want to rethink that decision of getting back into competing?”

“I’m… still not entirely sure. I guess there’s still a lot of stuff in my head that I need to work through. I don’t think I’m ready, at least not yet. And besides, I might not have a lot of time at the moment now that I’m a Ranger. But you have given me something to think about, Simon. Something that I would have forced myself to ignore until now. Thank you.”

Simon grinned: “Let’s call it even.”

The pair shared a hug. Then with one last warm smile, Amy walked out. Simon was left to watch her go. A brave and courageous girl, with exceptional skill and a good heart to match.

That day, Simon started seeing Amy in a brand new light.

Zord_Crazy

06-29-2005, 08:29 PM

Another well done ep, BW. Full of character growth and whatnot. Enjoy the cookies......AND MILK! *hands over the food & drink*

bushwacka666

06-30-2005, 12:10 PM

Ah milk - GIMME GIMME GIMME! :D

bushwacka666

07-02-2005, 04:35 AM

(Whoops, just realised that I forgot that bit. Proof that I've got to get back into the swing of things here...)

Andrew finally has enough of his slave work at his brother's lab, and the resulting argument makes the gap between them even wider. But when Lizzax's latest monster confronts them both, can Andrew prove his responsibility?

bushwacka666

07-14-2005, 08:12 AM

His task was simple, easy to understand and straightforward to carry out. His task required no special experience or qualifications. His task was a walk in the park that did nothing to strain the brain.

Many people may have welcomed a task like this, one that provided a straightforward life with no insurmountable obstacles to face. But not when the task brought no rewards. Not when the task was cleaning up the mess that other people had made.

Andrew let out yet another weary and frustrated sigh as he dipped the mop back into the bucket before sweeping it across the floor of the lab – well really it was more like his mop, his bucket. Nobody else ever touched them. He had lost count of how many of those sighs he had made in the past hour, let alone for the day so far. And there was more of the same to come.

Andrew tired of this chore. Not that he didn’t have anything against people in a janitorial profession. Far from it: he fully respected those people that did what they had to do. He just never saw himself in that role. Maybe some people could be happy like this, but he couldn’t. It simply wasn’t for him.

“Andrew,” called the voice of his big brother Adrian from the other side of the lab, “you haven’t cleaned the windows for two whole days! Get to it.”

“Yes, my Lord and Master…” Andrew muttered as he walked over to the windows.

“And that’s enough of that attitude” Adrian added on.

It wasn’t even the all-day cleaning that got to Andrew the most. What really made him mad was how his brother treated him all the time. In Adrian’s eyes, he was still a little kid, an annoying brat who couldn’t be trusted and who would just cause trouble if left to his own devices. Why couldn’t Adrian just see that he was older now? That he could be reliable and trustworthy? Why couldn’t Adrian just give him a chance?

Andrew thought he had gotten that chance when Adrian offered him the job. He thought – quite foolishly now, he realised – that he was actually going to make a proper contribution to the research that went on, that he could be a part of something meaningful. Then his hopes were shattered when Adrian shoves the mop and bucket in his hand and just says “get to work”. Ever since that day, the tensions between he and his brother had been constantly running high. Adrian treated him like dirt, he felt this job was degrading, and the pay sucked!

To make matters worse? Andrew had realised that his plans of proving his worth could not be carried out. When the Ultrastar agents had come to the lab to recruit Adrian, Andrew pretended to be his brother in order to find out what was going on, and ultimately, to do something worthwhile. Andrew had thought that his duties as a Power Ranger would prove to Adrian that he could handle responsibility. But of course, he had to keep his identity a secret – Adrian had no clue that his brother was the Blue Ranger, and vice versa. So this did nothing to help his problem.

As Andrew wiped over one of the windows with a cloth, he suddenly heard a beeping tone – his Morpher. Clearly it wasn’t exactly the best time for this, but he had to answer it. Something could be wrong. He took a glance around: nobody else appeared to have heard the beep – actually, nobody seemed to be taking any notice of him whatsoever.

‘No change there, then’ he thought to himself as he raised his Morpher and pressed the communication button:

“Go for Andrew” he spoke quietly.

“Andrew, this is General Bennet. Lizzax has sent down another monster. The other Rangers are on their way to HQ for a briefing. We need you to join them.”

“I’m on my way.”

Andrew dropped his cloth onto the counter and immediately made for the door. Unfortunately Adrian spotted him leaving, and moved to stop him.

“Andrew, where do you think you’re going?”

“Sorry Adrian,” replied Andrew, “but I’ve got to go.”

“You’re not going anywhere pal. Get back to work!”

“No can do. There’s somewhere I’ve got to be.”

“Damn it Andrew, this isn’t some sort of make-believe dream world! You can’t just come and go as you please! Now get back to work!”

Andrew let out an irritated sigh: “I don’t have time for this!”

He began to walk out again, but Adrian wouldn’t let things drop that easily:

“And you wonder why I treat you like a little kid?” he called out after his younger brother. “It’s because you still act like one! You don’t know the meaning of the word ‘responsibility’, do you?”

Andrew stopped in his tracks. He was desperately trying to keep his anger under control, but he wasn’t succeeding. Adrian had really hit a nerve now – this was the last straw! He turned around and stepped back towards his brother:

“I do know about responsibility, and that’s exactly why I have to go. And if you took a second to just open your eyes and see that the world doesn’t revolve around you, you’d realise that! You’re so wrapped up in yourself and your delusions, you don’t even think about what you’re doing to me!”

“I’m keeping you out of trouble!” Adrian shot back. “I’m trying to teach you that you can’t just do whatever you want and not think about the consequences to other people’s feelings.”

“You should take a look in the mirror when you say that!”

“Just what has gotten into you? I’m going to give you one last chance to…”

“Enough Adrian, that’s it! I’ve had enough!”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean I quit!” Andrew announced. “You’ve been messing me around right from the start with this dead-end job, and I’m not going to take it anymore. Find yourself another slave – I’ve got more important places to be!”

Andrew stormed out, leaving no room for further discussion. Adrian just glared after him, too outraged to do much else.

“When is that boy going to take some responsibility in this world?” he asked himself. “I always knew he couldn’t be trusted!”

*

Andrew arrived at the Ultrastar HQ, making his way to the General’s office where the others were waiting for him. He gave his salute to the General before taking a seat.

“You’re a little late, Andrew” began Steven. “What kept you?”

“I’m sorry sir” Andrew replied. “I got a little held up at my brother’s lab. He wouldn’t let me leave.”

“I’ve heard about the problems you and your brother are having, and I understand. But you must realise that your Ranger duties are important, and punctuality is crucial.”

“I do sir. I can assure you it won’t happen again, because I quit the lab job.”

“You what?” Jack spoke up, surprised. “You really told your brother where to stick it?”

“Yeah, but now’s not the time to talk about it” said Andrew. He turned back to Steven: “What’s the situation General?”

“Well like I said when I called you guys in, there’s another monster in the city. Take a look.”

Steven pressed a button on his console, allowing a screen to bring up video footage of a brown mole creature, displaying beady red eyes and black twitching whiskers.

“That’s one ugly critter” remarked Amy.

“Tell me about it” Katrina agreed. “It looks like Lizzax is trying to buy all the time he can to find more of the Hydra’s Teeth. Until he locates some more, we reckon he’s going to keep sending down monsters in the meantime, to try and keep you guys busy.”

“So where is this creep?” asked Jessica.

“That’s just it,” continued Katrina, “at the moment we don’t know. This footage was taken about fifteen minutes ago, but being a mole monster means that this creature can tunnel underground – and it’s when he’s underground that we can’t detect him.”

“And let me guess,” said Andrew, “he’s underground at the moment?”

“Precisely” Steven confirmed. “We know he’s somewhere in the west side of the city, but we’re unable to give a pinpoint location. We need you to investigate, find the monster, and stop him fast. When he can go underground where certain things lie – like the foundations of buildings – then he can become more dangerous than he looks.”

“Don’t worry sir,” Simon assured him, “we’re on it.”

*

The Rangers arrived on the scene in the city, morphed and ready for action. Taking an initial look around the immediate area, all seemed quiet.

“Well, I’ve got nothing” remarked Andrew.

“He’s probably still underground at the moment” said Simon. “We’re not going to find him until he surfaces.”

As if on cue, something suddenly burst through from the ground, mere inches away from them. Startled, they lost their footing and tumbled to the ground. The now present monster chortled amusingly to himself at their reaction.

“Molemax at your service,” announced the monster, “you called?”

“You had to say it, didn’t you?” Jack muttered to Simon as the Rangers returned to their feet.

“I hear you’ve been looking for me Rangers” Molemax continued. “Well I’ve been looking for you too, and so since we’re both here, let’s get down to business.”

With that, Molemax fired some lasers from his eyes to blast the Rangers back, but they managed to stand firm, retaliating by moving in with their own fighting skills. Molemax tried to defend himself but found it difficult against all five of his opponents. A synchronised kick from the girls caused him to stagger back.

“The only way is down” said Molemax. “I’m outta here.”

Molemax suddenly dived back into the ground, burrowing through at rapid speed and disappearing.

“Well that fight didn’t last long” said Jessica.

“I’m guessing Molemax is a bit of a coward” Amy realised. “His main strength is his ability to hide underground, where we can’t find him.”

Inside his helmet, Simon gave a little impressed smile as his eyes locked on Amy. Ever since she rescued him from Blaze in the abandoned factory, he had found himself thinking about her a lot more than he used to. He wasn’t sure of it himself yet, but he had to wonder if he was starting to see Amy as more than just a friend.

“Simon?” Jack asked. “Hey Simon?”

“Huh, what?” Simon snapped back to reality.

“What do we do? We’ve got to find Molemax.”

“Alright, everybody split up. He’s got to come back up sooner or later, and we have to be there when he does. But stay in touch.”

“Right” the others agreed. Each Ranger took his or her own route as they searched individually for signs of the monster.

Andrew’s search took him into one of the more quieter areas of the park. Nobody else was around at the moment, which was a good thing. If Molemax resurfaced here, then it was better that innocent civilians were not present to get hurt.

Andrew stood still as he took a careful look around the area. Everything seemed normal here. Quiet and peaceful…

That is, until Molemax suddenly burst out from the very same spot where Andrew was standing! Andrew let out a yell of surprise, followed by a yell of pain as Molemax struck him hard on the way up. The force of the hit caused Andrew to de-morph against his will. He crashed back down onto the grass, only just managing to spot Molemax dive back under, mere seconds after he had appeared.

Andrew took a few breaths as he tried to calm himself. Struggling back to his feet, he pressed the communication button on his Morpher to alert the others:

“Guys, this is Andrew. Molemax just launched a surprise attack on me, but he disappeared again before I could stop him. Keep your guard up, ok? This guy likes to play dirty.”

He closed the communication, taking a few more moments to catch his breath.

“Andrew!” a voice suddenly called. Andrew whirled around to see who had called his name – it was his brother Adrian who made his way across the park towards him.

“Adrian, what are you doing here?”

“Well I could ask you the same question, but I don’t need to. Enough of your goofing off pal, you’re getting yourself back to the lab and doing what you’re told!”

“I quit, remember?” Andrew shot back. “You can’t treat me like a little kid anymore Adrian. Look, I think you’d better go.”

“Stop being childish Andrew…”

“No listen to me, I’m serious. It’s not safe for you to stay here.”

“What are you talking about?”

That’s when Molemax burst back up from the ground once more, landing in front of the brothers. Adrian stared at the monster in shock.

“What the…?” he began, but Andrew cut him off.

“Adrian, run. Get to safety.”

“I’ve got a better idea” Molemax interrupted. “How about both of you come with me?”

Molemax suddenly emitted a jet of thick mist from his mouth. The mist engulfed the pair, and in a flash of light, they disappeared.

“That’s one of the Rangers out the way” chortled Molemax. “The others will be easy targets.”

Molemax dived back down to continue his rampage.

*

“My Lord,” Blaze announced, “Molemax has succeeded in capturing the Blue Ranger, and another human whom I believe is his brother.”

“Excellent” replied Lizzax. “Good work, Technicals. Perhaps you have finally created a monster worthy of inflicting his ugly mug upon the world.”

“We live to serve you, my Lord” Squawk and Screech grovelled in unison.

“What of the other Rangers, my Lord?” asked Blaze.

“Their strength is now compromised. Molemax has been quite efficient in his task so far. We will see if they try to rescue their blue friend. If they do, Molemax will be waiting for them.”

*

Meanwhile, in an underground cavern, Andrew and Adrian found themselves alone, trapped behind some sort of mist wall. The brothers had already tried to pass through the mist, but it was somehow blocking their path. Molemax was not there with them, so all they could do was sit on the ground or lean against the wall, patiently waiting for… well, anything!

“Well,” Adrian began, “this is a fine mess you’ve gotten us into, little brother.”

“Me?” cried Andrew. “What are you blaming me for?”

“Well if you hadn’t walked out of the lab earlier, then I wouldn’t have had to come and find you to haul you back, and we wouldn’t have been attacked by that… thing!”

“Hey look, I warned you that it wasn’t safe there, and I told you to leave. But once again, you always think you know best! I shouldn’t be surprised really – since when have you ever stopped to think that I might actually be right about something instead of you?”

“Oh don’t pretend that you’re worldly-wise buddy! The bottom line is that I’m older than you, I’m more mature than you, and so I demand some respect!”

“And you think I haven’t tried that?” Andrew challenged. “Sometimes I try really hard to be nice to you, but you still treat me the same way you always do! How do you expect me to have respect for you when you don’t have any for me?”

Adrian snorted in disgust: “I don’t have to listen to this.”

“Yeah? Well since we’re pretty much stuck here, I don’t think you’ve got any other choice!”

*

“Any luck yet Katrina?” Simon asked as he stepped up beside her.

“Not yet” Katrina replied, not shifting her glance from the computer screen. “I’m still running a search.”

“So let me get this straight” began Amy. “Seconds after Andrew contacted us, Molemax captured both him and his brother?”

“Exactly” Steven confirmed. “Molemax seems to be a really sneaky one. I thought it best to call the rest of you back before you were captured as well.”

“We’ve got to get Andrew back,” Jessica announced, “but we’ve also got to track down Molemax. But it’s pretty annoying when he spends most of his time beneath the surface.”

“Tell me something I don’t know!” Katrina sighed wearily. “The Ultrastar scanning system wasn’t really designed to sweep underground levels. I’m trying my best to adapt it and see what I can pick up, but it’s not easy.”

“You’re doing fine Katrina” Steven assured her. “Just do what you can.”

“I will sir.”

“So, what do we do in the meantime?” Jack asked.

“Not much we can do until something comes up” Steven told them. “Be patient, and I’ll let you know the action to take.”

*

Adrian ran a hand across the mist in front of him. He tried his best to pass his arm through, but the mist just wouldn’t allow it. It was just like a solid brick wall, however that was possible. The brothers had spotted a switch on the wall at the other side of the cave, which they assumed turned the mist on and off. But of cause they couldn’t reach it. They were certainly prisoners here.

“How do we get out of here?” he asked out loud.

“Don’t worry, we won’t be trapped here for long” said Andrew. “Someone will be looking for us, I know they will.”

“Yeah sure, if they even know where to look! You know, I shouldn’t have even gone after you. I should’ve just let you go – I knew it would be a lost cause to try and talk some sense into you!”

“Oh for the love of…” Andrew exclaimed with a sigh. “Will you just listen to me? I had to leave. There was something important that I had to take care of.”

“Yeah sure. And what’s important to kids your age nowadays? Smoking, alcohol, drugs…”

“I can’t believe that I’ve been around for 17 years, and you still don’t know the first thing about me! I’ve never gotten near any of those things, Adrian, and I don’t intend to! Why can’t you just trust me to get by on my own?”

“Because you can’t!” Adrian insisted. “You’re too young to know anything about responsibility, about a commitment to something. I already knew it, and when you stormed out of the lab this morning, all you did was prove me right! I’m trying to keep you out of trouble. Look, if you just get back to your job, I’ll see if I can forget all about your mistake today.”

“But it’s not what I want to do! You tricked me into thinking I’d actually be playing a part in the lab team, but instead I found myself turned into a one-man cleaning crew. Cleaning that lab shouldn’t even be a one-man job!”

“Life isn’t always that straightforward Andrew. Sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to.”

“Yeah maybe, but a lot of people have an opportunity to go off on their own and find their own commitments. I’d be doing that too, if you gave me a chance…”

“You’re young, you’re foolish, and you make mistakes too easily! You can’t be trusted to have responsibility.”

“That’s where you’re wrong” Andrew protested. “I do have a responsibility, and it’s an important one. And people do trust me to live up to it.”

“Oh really? Then tell me, what is it?”

Andrew hesitated.

“Come on Andrew” Adrian pressed. “If you keep insisting on how responsible you are, then tell me – what is this big commitment of yours?”

“I… I can’t tell you.”

“Yeah that’s what I thought.”

*

“Got him!” shouted Katrina.

Immediately the Rangers and Steven ran to the computer.

“Andrew? Where is he?” asked Jack.

“He and his brother are trapped in some sort of underground cave” replied Katrina. “Now that I’ve found it, you should be able to teleport down there without any problems. I think I’m also picking up Molemax lurking nearby though, so be careful.”

Steven turned to the others: “You know what to do, Rangers.”

Simon nodded in response: “Yes sir.”

*

Andrew and Adrian turned around at the sound of four coloured streaks descending into the cave. Andrew gave a knowing smile to see his team-mates teleport in.

“Whoa, the Ultrastar Rangers” Adrian exclaimed. “Am I glad to see you!”

“Are you two alright?” Simon asked them.

“Yeah, we’re fine… Red Ranger” Andrew replied. “This mist is stopping us from leaving, but I think the switch to turn it off is on the wall behind you.”

Jessica looked behind her and found the switch. She moved the lever, and sure enough the mist faded away, allowing Andrew and Adrian to step through.

“Thanks” Adrian expressed his gratitude.

“No problem,” replied Amy, “but we’d better get you out of here. It’s not safe.”

At that moment, there was a loud rumble vibrating through the ground. Seconds later, the figure of Molemax burst up into the cave, landing in between the brothers and the other Rangers.

“Not so fast, Rangers” Molemax told them. “You’re not taking my guests that easily. Back to the surface you go!”

Molemax emitted the steam from his mouth, enveloping the Rangers and teleporting them out of the cave. He then turned back to the brothers:

“Now you two: get back in the cell, or you won’t like the consequences.”

“Not gonna happen” Andrew shot back. He lashed out with a few kicks to put some distance in between him and Molemax. Angered by this, Molemax fired off some eye lasers. Out of instinct, Andrew rolled to the side. Adrian, however, was not as quick. The lasers blasted around him, causing no direct damage but forcing him to the ground.

“Adrian! No!” Andrew cried. Adrian groaned from the pain as he lay on the ground.

“There’s no point in getting too upset,” laughed Molemax, “because the same thing’s about to happen to you.”

Andrew took a deep breath as he contemplated the situation. He wasn’t supposed to do this – his identity was meant to be kept a secret. But if he couldn’t protect his brother, he would never be able to forgive himself. He knew he didn’t have any other choice…

“Ultra-Op, Engage!”

Adrian’s eyes went wide with shock as he witnessed his younger brother transform into the Blue Ultrastar Ranger. So caught up in his surprise, all he could do was look on as Andrew began to beat back the monster.

“Ultra Sword!” Andrew ordered, summoning his weapon and delivering several slashes to his opponent. With Molemax weakened, Andrew made his way back over to Adrian, helping him to his feet.

“Come on Adrian, let’s get out of here.”

“Andrew…” Adrian stammered, “You… you’re…?”

“Now’s not the time to talk about it. I think we’ve outstayed our welcome, let’s go.”

Andrew teleported out of the cave, taking Adrian with him. Molemax let out an angered growl – they weren’t getting away that easily.

*

The other Rangers let out relieved sighs as they saw Andrew and Adrian teleport back on the surface. Mere moments later, however, and their concern was back as Molemax reappeared – in giant size.

Simon’s response was instant: “Rhino Carrier, online!”

“Adrian,” Andrew spoke to his brother, “I’ve got to handle this. Run over there, you’ll be safe.”

“But… what… how…?” Adrian gasped.

“Just go!”

A still stunned Adrian did as he was told, leaving Andrew to follow the others into the Rhino Carrier and board their individual Zords. They had no time to waste, immediately forming the Ultrastar Megazord.

Molemax fired his eye lasers again, successfully blasting the Megazord but causing little damage. The Megazord responded by advancing towards the monster, slamming a fist into his chest, followed by another. Molemax attempted to retaliate with a few swipes of his own. Sparks flew from the Megazord’s chest but it stood its ground, As Molemax attempted another swipe, the Megazord’s own arm came in to block. At the controls, the Rangers ordered a large metal foot to slam itself into Molemax’s midsection. The monster stumbled back, barely managing to stay on his feet.

“Ultra Sabre!” called Simon, summoning the Megazord’s sword and raising it ready. Molemax breathed out a jet of energised mist, but the Megazord was ready for it, absorbing it into the Ultra Sabre’s blade and then sending it back. Molemax was damaged by his own attack, weakening him and leaving him open to the final attack.

“Ultra Slash!” the Rangers declared together. Five energised strikes made their way towards Molemax in rapid succession. With no hope to survive, Molemax collapsed to the ground, the explosion signalling his final end.

*

After the battle, Andrew and Adrian walked through the park by themselves.

“I can’t believe it!” Adrian exclaimed. “You’re the Blue Ranger!”

“Hey, not so loud!” Andrew hushed him. “You’re not even supposed to know.”

“So you were telling the truth. You really do have an important responsibility.”

“Yeah, I do. A lot of people depend on me and the other Rangers to stop these attacks, and we can’t let them down.”

“Hey, uh, who are the other Rangers anyway?”

Andrew laughed: “Sorry, you already know more than you should. Listen, you won’t tell anyone, will you?”

“I promise, your secret’s safe with me.”

“Thanks.”

Adrian hesitated for a moment. He hated to be in the wrong, but after everything that happened, he figured he owed his brother this much:

“Listen Andrew. I, uh, well…”

“Yes?” Andrew pressed teasingly.

“Listen, I guess I owe you an apology. Here I was saying you couldn’t handle any responsibility, but you’ve actually got one of the biggest responsibilities there is!”

“You understand why I couldn’t tell you Adrian, but you have to learn to trust me. I’m not going to end up making nothing of myself. I’m going to have a good future.”

“I think I should at least try and explain my actions. I’ve always been claiming that I was keeping you out of trouble. But I had a reason for doing it – you see, there’s something about me that you never knew either.”

“There is?” Andrew asked. “What do you mean?”

“I had a drug problem when I was your age” Adrian admitted to his surprised younger brother. “I guess I fell in with the wrong crowd, people who were all into that kind of stuff, but I was just as much to blame as the rest of them. I got a little addicted, and put myself at risk – I almost went too far!”

“I never knew” exclaimed Andrew. “I take it Mom and Dad knew?”

“They totally freaked when they found out, but they promised to help me through it. It took a lot of time and effort, but I finally managed to put it all behind me. But you see Andrew, you’re now the same age that I was when that all happened.”

“And you thought I’d get into the whole drugs thing as well?”

“Perhaps I was overreacting a little, and for that I’m sorry. I guess kids nowadays are educated about the dangers of drugs far more than I was, but even then it’s not foolproof protection. Andrew: that was one of the hardest things I ever went through, and I almost threw my whole life away – I just didn’t want you to make the same mistakes I did.”

Andrew nodded. He understood now. He had never known anything about his brother’s past drug problem – it looked like each brother had surprised the other today. But he could see why Adrian acted the way he did. In the end, he was just trying to protect his little brother.

“Adrian, I appreciate you looking out for me. That means a lot. But you’re right: we do know what’s good and what’s bad. You can trust me, I’m not going to make those mistakes.”

“I think I see that now, and I do trust you to make your own decisions. So, am I forgiven?”

“I guess I can forgive you to an extent – I’m grateful that you’re going to accept me going my own way now. But honestly, Adrian, we were never really getting along as well as we could have been. There’s been a lot of tension between us, and I don’t think I could just put it all behind me just like that.”

“You’ve got a point there. We probably can’t automatically become best friends after all this. There’s still a lot to work through. So what do you suggest?”

“How about we start over? A clean slate, and go from there?”

Adrian smiled: “Little brother, that’s the most mature thing I’ve ever heard you say.”

He extended his hand: “To a fresh start?”

Andrew returned the smile, and shook hands, feeling positive about the future.

“To a fresh start.”

bushwacka666

07-14-2005, 08:15 AM

The Rangers' focus returns to their main task of locating the Hydra's Teeth crystals, but Lizzax is already one step ahead. It is time for the Rangers to activate their most advanced technology - the Op Drives - and make a special journey in order to complete their mission!

HurricaneNinja

07-14-2005, 08:48 PM

You know i need to cacth up on your story bush i havent read a chapter since chapter 3 O.O.Oh and in my new upcoming fic Meteos expect a little homage to one of your idea's in your very first fic.

Zord_Crazy

07-14-2005, 11:08 PM

Damn. This new fic is definitely your best one, BW. Cookies & CHOCOLATE milk today. *hands'em over*

bushwacka666

07-30-2005, 05:48 AM

“Now, you had better be certain about this.”

“We are, my Lord” Squawk assured his master. “You need not worry.”

“Where is it?”

“The Hydra’s Tooth has been detected in a place that the humans call Egypt” Blaze reported. “A very hot area of Earth made mostly of desert-like terrain. The deserts themselves are largely uninhabited – there should be no civilian interference in our search.”

“Perhaps not,” Lizzax pondered, “but I am more concerned about interference from the Rangers.”

“But they wouldn’t interfere, my Lord” claimed Screech. “They’re stationed in Water Rose City. This Tooth is not anywhere near there.”

“That is irrelevant” Blaze told her. “We only send down monsters to keep the Rangers busy while we try to find the Hydra’s Teeth: the only significance the city has is that’s where they live, so that’s where we attack, and that’s where they defend. However, our primary mission is to find the Teeth, and so is theirs – they will oppose us regardless of where our searches take place.”

“Technicals, I trust you have a monster suitable for these sandy conditions?” Lizzax asked them.

“Yes, my Lord” Screech confirmed. “Desert Rat is a perfect choice, but why send a monster to lead the search if you only use them to attack the Rangers?”

“Three reasons. One: our Dentists are not designed for long durations in such climates, and I do not wish to risk any more of my forces than I have to. Two: if the Rangers do interfere, then it will be Desert Rat’s responsibility to take care of them.”

“And three?” Squawk asked.

“Three: I don’t trust you to handle such an important task! Now, let us not waste any more time. Send Desert Rat down to this Egypt place – I want that Tooth!”

*

Meanwhile, the Rangers relaxed in the park with their friend Nikita. Jack was going through a martial arts kata, Amy was doing her routine daily exercises, Andrew and Simon were kicking a soccer ball back and forth, and Nikita looked on at Jessica tapping away at her laptop.

“I don’t believe you’re actually doing this Jess” Nikita exclaimed.

“Is she trying to hack into something again?” Amy asked from the side.

“Not trying, succeeding” Jessica informed them, not removing her eyes from the screen.

“And you call this starting with a clean slate?” asked Andrew.

Jessica shrugged her shoulders: “I figure the clean slate thing starts once it’s all over.”

Nikita looked puzzled: “Once what’s all over? What do you mean getting a clean slate?”

“Oh err, nothing Nik. Don’t worry about it.”

Jessica and Amy exchanged raised eyebrows of relief – they had almost put their foot in it there!

Andrew booted the ball a little too hard, and it sailed over Simon’s head beyond his reach.

“Whoops, sorry Si” he apologised.

“No worries” Simon replied as he ran after the ball. However, as he bent down to pick it up, his Morpher beeped. Taking a glance to make sure nobody was within hearing distance, he raised his Morpher and pressed the communication button:

“Go for Simon.”

“Simon, this is General Bennet. I need you and the others at HQ right away. This is an emergency.”

“Right, I’ll get the others.”

Simon closed the communication and ran back over to the others. Of course, due to Nikita being there, he had to be careful what he said to them.

“Guys,” he got their attention, “we’ve got to go. There’s…uh…something we have to do, remember?”

The others got the message, agreeing and packing up to leave.

“Where are you guys going now?” Nikita asked them.

“Sorry Nikita,” Jack told her, “but there’s something we’ve got to take care of. It’s…”

“Don’t tell me: it’s really important, right?”

“We really are sorry,” Simon apologised, “but we’ve really got to get going. We’ll make it up to you later okay? See ya.”

The others waved goodbye and left. Nikita now sat on the bench by herself, knowing something had to be going on. This wasn’t the first time these guys had suddenly gone off and abandoned her like this. She guessed there was a good reason for it, but why couldn’t they tell her what it was?

*

The Rangers made their way to HQ where they were asked to report to the lab. The General and Katrina awaited their arrival there. The Rangers gave their salute to Steven and then waited for their instructions.

“Thanks for coming so quickly, Rangers” Steven told them.

“What’s the situation sir?” Simon asked. “You said it was an emergency.”

“Indeed it is. Our scanners have managed to pick up a Hydra’s Tooth. It’s in Egypt, and we need you to find and retrieve it immediately.”

“What about Lizzax?” enquired Amy.

“Unfortunately he’s detected the Tooth as well. He’s already sent down a monster called Desert Rat to look for it, so we have to act fast before it’s too late.”

The Rangers glanced over at a screen that showed a large brown rat creature trotting through the sand, dressed in light beige human-styled shirt and shorts, and a cap on his head.

“Hang on a minute” Andrew cut in. “You said this Tooth was in Egypt? How do you expect us to work in a place like that?”

Steven smiled: “I’m glad you asked. Katrina?”

“Alright guys,” Katrina began, “we told you that your powers were some of the most advanced ever created, and now you finally find out why. It’s time to let you in on the purpose of the Op Drive devices on your gloves.”

The Rangers remembered the electronic panel built into the left gloves of their Ranger suits, and were curious as to what they were for.

“The Op Drives,” Katrina revealed, “are used to supply you with an extra edge in specific situations. By activating the various modes, you’ll be given brand new suits and equipment, especially designed for many unique circumstances that you might find yourself in.”

“You’re kidding!” exclaimed Jessica. “Our entire suits change as well?”

“That’s right. You can still summon your normal weapons and vehicles when you need them, but everything else will be replaced and added to: suits, gear – and Zords! In this case, you need a Op File designed for desert combat, and I aim to please. The first File has now been uploaded to your Op Drives, and you’ll know what to do once you morph.”

“I don’t believe it!” stated an astonished Jack.

“Well you’d better,” Steven told them, “because you have to set off – there’s no more time to waste. Coordinates are set for Egypt. Get going.”

The Rangers nodded their agreement, and activated their Morphers:

“Ultra-Op, Engage!”

*

Mere minutes later, five streaks of coloured light descended onto the sandy plains of Egypt. The Rangers emerged, at the moment clad in their standard uniforms. But they would not remain that way for long…

“Alright then,” Simon told the others, “let’s do this!”

They raised up their left arms, the Op Drive panels built into their gloves: a screen at the top, a grill underneath that they would speak into, a green button on the left and a red button on the right. The Rangers pressed the green button:

“Desert Strike, Engage!”

Large flashes of light engulfed all five of the Rangers. When the light faded, they stood once more. Now, however, their appearance had completely changed: they now wore suits that bore an all-over army camouflage design in their respective Ranger colours, with the Ultrastar logo placed on the forehead above the visor.

The team took a moment to admire their new look, voicing several comments and whistles of appreciation.

“Alright,” Andrew told the others, “now that Desert Strike has been activated, it’s time to really put our new gear to the test!”

“I couldn’t agree more” replied Simon. He held out his right arm, and an object suddenly materialised into his grip: a gold suitcase bearing the Ultrastar logo. Simon quickly set the suitcase down and opened it up. Inside, various buttons; switches; dials and lights littered the base. A large screen was set into the lid, along with a flap for a storage compartment. The entire case was some sort of computer system. Simon flicked a few of the switches to turn on the console:

“Desert System, active” he announced. “Jessica, you’re the computer expert here. See what you can do.”

“Right” Jessica agreed, laying on her front in front of the Desert System case and tapping away at the keys.

“Activating GPS” she reported, as a telescopic aerial suddenly extended from the lid and up into the air. A few lights flashed away as the screen brought up a map of the surrounding area. Moments later, seven coloured dots appeared on the screen, five grouped together at the bottom of the screen, and two more scattered around the map.

“Okay,” Jessica told the others, “the dots at the bottom of the screen are each of us, represented by our Ranger colours. The purple dot is the Hydra’s Tooth that we’ve been sent here to get, and the brown dot is the position of Lizzax’s goon.”

“He’s getting closer to it” Andrew noted. “We’ve got to move fast.”

“Jess, can you bring up the fastest route to get to the Tooth?” asked Jack.

“No problem…”

Jessica tapped a few more keys, calling up a green line from their position to that of the Tooth.

“That’s it,” she announced, “but we’d be lucky to get there before Desert Rat does.”

“Let’s summon the MantaStars” Simon told the others. “We’ll need the speed.”

*

The sand scattered around in all directions as it was blown by the powerful lifting fans of the MantaStars. The vehicles hovered above the surface, meaning that they could not become stuck or begin to sink in the soft sand. The occasional sand dune blocked the Rangers’ path, but by adjusting the power of the MantaStar’s fans, they were able to practically “jump” over them.

“We have to hurry” Andrew told the others.

“We’re going as fast as the MantaStars will let us Andrew” Jessica reminded him.

“Don’t worry,” added Simon, “we’re almost there. Look.”

The Rangers stared ahead, and sure enough they just managed to spot Desert Rat as he leapt down into a large dip in the sand. The Rangers brought their MantaStars to a halt and ran the rest of the way to the pit. Taking care to stay out of sight, they laid down at the edge of the pit and looked down. Each of them brought out a pair of electronic binoculars – equipment also supplied by the Desert Strike form – and used them to take a closer look. They spotted Desert Rat walking across the pit, supervising two Dentists. The walking drill machines were already boring their way through the sand below.

“The Dentists have already begun drilling” said Jessica. “Desert Rat must have found the exact location of the Tooth.”

“We’ve got to get a hold of the Tooth before they do” added Jack. “We need to lure Desert Rat away from the area, and then we can take out the Dentists and take over the digging for ourselves. How long before the Dentists get to the Tooth?”

Currently at the controls of the Desert System, Amy pressed a few buttons and brought up an image of the screen of the drills driving their way into the sand.

“According to these calculations, we’ve got ten minutes at the most” she informed the others.

“Jack, I want you with me” Simon told his friend. “The rest of you make your way around the pit to the other side, and make your move when it’s clear.”

Down in the pit, Desert Rat rubbed his hands together excitedly, knowing that he would soon obtain possession of the item he had been sent to find.

“Hey, Mouse Man!” a voice suddenly called out. Desert Rat whirled around to see the Red and Green Rangers standing at the top of the pit.

“How dare you call me a mouse!” the monster snarled. “I’m a rat!”

“Well if you want to teach us a lesson, then come on!” Jack taunted. “We’re waiting.”

“I’ll show you, Rangers!”

Desert Rat began scurrying back up the side of the pit after his tormentors. Simon motioned to Jack to move away from the pit. When Desert Rat reached the top, the pair stood waiting for him. Immediately Desert Rat attacked, Simon and Jack progressing to exchange moves. Simon worked to block the monster’s punching attempts while Jack came in with a swift roundhouse kick to knock him back.

Seeing their opportunity, the other three Rangers now made a move, half running, half sliding down the side of the pit. They quickly withdrew their Ultra Blasters and opened fire on the Dentists. Unfortunately, the lasers instead struck the group of Reptolites that suddenly appeared between them.

“Sneaky” Amy remarked.

“Come on,” Jessica invited her team-mates, “let’s get ‘em!”

The Pink; Yellow and Blue Rangers began to fend off the Reptolites. The soldiers would not be enough to defeat the trio of heroes, but they knew they had a job to do, attacking the Rangers and attempting to push them away from the Dentists that were still digging down. Andrew realised he had a chance and made a dash for one of the Dentists, only to have three Reptolites suddenly tackle him to the ground.

*

On Lizzax’s ship, Blaze observed the events in Egypt via a viewing screen. He turned to Lizzax:

“My Lord, the Rangers have indeed begun to interfere with our efforts to retrieve the Tooth. Desert Rat is attacking the Red and Green Rangers, while the Reptolites are keeping the other three at bay.”

“They had better be” Lizzax replied. “I want that Tooth, and those irritable Rangers must not be allowed to stand in my way!”

“There is something else, my Lord” Blaze continued. “These Rangers don’t look like the ones that have opposed us before.”

Lizzax walked over to the screen to see for himself. Indeed these Rangers did look very different from the bothersome brats that he had grown used to seeing. However, he was able to notice the same Ultrastar logo on their suits that he had seen before.

“I think these are the same group of Rangers,” he told Blaze, “but they appear to have received some new form of outfit. Interesting.”

“If they have new suits, I can’t help but wonder what else they might have obtained. Shall I proceed into the battle and find out?”

“No Blaze, remain here. We must be cautious and see what other secrets the Rangers will reveal to us in due course. The more we know about our enemy, the better.”

“As you wish, my Lord.”

*

Desert Rat aimed his claws at Simon and Jack, firing them off like missiles and striking them down. The battle between them had gradually moved them away from the pit, leaving the pair to fight alone without any backup from the others. Desert Rat was now taking advantage of this, weakening his opponents with his claw missiles before running in to deliver close-range attacks.

“Man, this rodent’s getting on my nerves!” Jack snarled.

“I’m one vicious vermin, Rangers” chortled Desert Rat. “You don’t have what it takes to stop me.”

“We’ll just see about that pal” retorted Simon. “We’ve still got a few more tricks up our sleeves.” He nodded to Jack: “Ready?”

Jack returned the nod: “Ready.”

Simon and Jack both lifted their arms up. A new object suddenly appeared into each of their hands. Desert Rat stared out in fear as they took position…

With their new bazookas resting on their shoulders, Simon and Jack took aim, and opened fire. Two rockets flew at incredible speed towards their target, striking the ground around Desert Rat and sending him flying through the air.

“Well, do I just love these things or what!” Jack cheered.

“Just the kind of firepower we need” agreed Simon.

*

Back at the pit, the Reptolites were being largely successful at keeping the other Rangers at bay. Many of the soldiers still remained, and had formed a barrier that the Rangers were having difficulty fighting their way past.

“We’re running out of time” cried Amy. “The Dentists have probably almost reached the Tooth by now.”

“Alright, let’s get this over with” Andrew announced. “You girls know what you have to do.”

The girls did indeed. Together, the three of them held out their hands and each summoned a black assault rifle. Taking aim, they squeezed the triggers and opened fire. The machine guns unleashed their flurry of rapid-fire laser blasts, practically showering the Reptolites in front of them.

“Remember the heads,” Jessica reminded the others, “it’s their weakest spot.”

The Rangers fired their rifles at the heads of the Reptolites. Straight away they began to drop like flies, creating the room the Rangers needed to reach the Dentists.

“Okay Andrew, you’re clear” Jessica told him. “Go for it.”

“Right” replied Andrew, making a dash for the drilling machines as he summoned another object into his hand – a small box that had the Ultrastar logo on the front and a button on the top. He pressed the button before tossing the device close to the feet of one of the Dentists.

“Hit the dirt!” he warned the others. The Rangers dived clear. The remaining Reptolites saw what had happened and made a frantic dash for the box to try and stop it…

They weren’t fast enough. The bomb exploded, a large burst of fire taking out the Dentists and the Reptolites in one go.

*

Desert Rat had been weakened slightly, but he was still very much in the battle. And this time, he was prepared to take things up a notch.

“You’d better find some shelter Rangers,” he warned Simon and Jack, “because there’s a storm coming!”

Desert Rat raised both arms into the air. Mere seconds wall all it took for the winds to suddenly pick up, calling a severe sandstorm into the area. The pair of Rangers let out cries of surprise as the sand engulfed them from all sides. Their suits and helmets protected them from any pain or injury, but they could no longer see anything. Not even each other – and last they checked they had been standing only mere inches apart.

“Jack!” Simon called out. “Jack, where are you?”

“Here” came a reply as Simon felt a hand latch on to his shoulder.

“I can’t see Desert Rat” Jack cried – moments before another stream of claw missiles struck them both down.

“Oh he’s still out there…” muttered Simon.

“You might not be able to see anything Rangers,” Desert Rat laughed, “but I assure you I can still see perfectly fine. You’re sitting ducks now!”

“Simon, we need help” Jack yelled out to him. “Call the others.”

Simon didn’t need telling twice! He raised up his Morpher and pressed the communication button:

“Rangers come in, this is Simon.”

His only response was a blast of loud static.

“Amy; Andrew; Jessica, do you read me?”

The same static remained.

*

The weather was still largely calm at the pit, although the sandstorm was just beginning to naturally find its way over. The three Rangers ran back to the spot where the Dentists had been standing. There, in the hole, rested the Hydra’s Tooth.

“There it is” said Jessica. Andrew reached down and lifted the crystal out with ease.

“The bomb must have blasted the rest of the sand out and freed it” he theorised. “Jess, contact HQ and tell them to expect a delivery.”

Jessica opened up the Desert System and tapped away at the keys, brining up a long-range communication channel. Steven’s face popped up on the screen.

“What’s the situation Jessica?” he asked.

“We’ve got the Tooth sir,” Jessica told him, “you can teleport it in now.”

“Excellent work” replied Steven. Andrew allowed the Tooth to be teleported from his hands, and then moved with Amy beside Jessica.

“What about Desert Rat?” Steven asked.

“Simon and Jack are fighting him at the moment” Amy told him. “We’re going to help them now.”

*

“It’s no use!” Simon whined. “I think this sandstorm is interfering with the signal. I can’t get through to anyone!”

“They’ve got no hope of finding us in the middle of this” Jack realised. “What do we do?”

“Well, you know what they say about desperate times…”

With that, Simon extended a hand and called forth another piece of the Desert Strike’s specialist equipment – a flare gun. Raising it high into the air, he fired off a bright burning flare into the sky.

*

“The communication doesn’t work” Andrew told the girls. “It must be the sandstorm that’s heading this way.”

“Look, over there” Amy called, pointing out the bright explosion of a flare that could be seen clearly even in the broad daylight. “That must be them.”

“Let’s go!”

The three Rangers ran towards the source of the flare as fast as they could. It was only thanks to Jessica’s sharp eyes that they spotted Desert Rat running clear of the storm and trying to retreat. She pointed it out to the others, who were ready.

“Oh no you don’t…” Andrew announced. All three of them summoned their bazookas and opened fire. Each rocket landed a direct hit on Desert Rat, blasting him to the ground and destroying him. The sandstorm magically faded away, allowing Simon and Jack to find their bearings and regroup with the others.

“Thanks guys,” Jack expressed his gratitude, “nice job.”

“No worries” replied Jessica. “This Desert Strike thing is definitely cool!”

“Heads up people,” Amy warned them, “we’re not out of the quicksand yet.”

Sure enough, the Technicals had teleported in, ready to do their duty:

“One scream to bring back the deceased…”

“…One scream to make his size increase!”

The Technicals released their joint sonic scream, the visible sound waves penetrating into the ground and resurrecting Desert Rat to giant size. The Rangers stared up at the huge monster towering over them.

“It had to happen, didn’t it?” joked Andrew.

“Alright,” announced Simon, “it’s to see what Desert Strike can really do – Desert Fox Carrier, online!”

On command, a large black vehicle rolled into view across the sand: essentially a box with an angled front, and a large gun barrel placed on the front. The Rangers stared in awe as the newest addition to their arsenal approached the battle field, and they knew there was still more to come…

“Desert Fox Carrier, fire!” Simon ordered, commanding the carrier to provide cover fire for the Rangers who were already jumping onboard and into the cockpits of their new individual Zords. The Desert Fox Carrier’s gun blasted Desert Rat several times before the Zord came to a halt. The hatch at the front then lowered to the ground, and the new Zord fleet rolled out into battle.

“Tracker Tank, power up!” called Jack, driving his green tank Zord across the desert.
“Sand Speeder, power up!” ordered Amy, behind the wheel of a pink car Zord.
“Battle Wagon, power up!” announced Andrew, piloting a large blue truck Zord.
“Dune Racer, power up!” cried Jessica, steering a yellow car Zord identical to Amy’s.
“Desert Cruiser, power up!” finished Simon, flying above the others in a red helicopter Zord.

“Alright guys,” Simon called to the others, “blast that rodent!”

The other Rangers complied. With a large tank-like turret on top of each of their four Zords, they opened fire on Desert Rat, striking him with strong laser bolts. Simon’s Desert Cruiser was the only Zord without a tank turret – the roof of this Zord was reserved for its rotor blades. However, it was still perfectly equipped for the task of attacking Desert Rat, banking round and opening fire with its wing-mounted lasers. Desert Rat was growing annoyed with these Rangers’ interference, but he wasn’t about to back down yet.

“Ok I think we should take it up a notch” Jessica suggested. “What do you say guys?”

“I’m game” replied Simon. “Begin combining sequence.”

The five Zords automatically moved into position, the computerised driving systems taking control in order to bring the Zords together. The Sand Speeder and Dune Racer formed the legs, the Tracker Tank making the lower body, the Battle Wagon creating the upper body and arms, and the Desert Cruiser forming the head. The Zords’ tank turrets and rotor blades magically disappeared from view.

“Desert Strike Megazord, power up!” the Rangers announced together. Their new Megazord stood on the sands of Egypt, ready for battle.

Desert Rat wasn’t fazed. The monster simply charged towards his target, but the Rangers were ready, raising the Megazord’s arms to block the attacks. The Megazord sent a fist pummelling into Desert Rat’s chest to knock him back. Desert Rat retaliated with a strong kick and a few strikes, causing the Megazord to stagger back a few steps, but the Rangers managed to keep themselves upright. They fought back, grappling with the monster and trying to outmuscle him. They managed to shove Desert Rat clear.

“Oh you think you’re tough huh?” growled Desert Rat. “Try this on for size!”

Desert Rat aimed his claws, ready to fire them off like missiles towards the Megazord. Luckily, Simon’s reactions were fast enough:

“Rotary Shield!” he ordered. The rotor blades from the Desert Cruiser Zord materialised into the Megazord’s left hand, gripped at the base of the post with the blades themselves fanning outwards.

Desert Rat fired his missile claws just as the Megazord’s Rotary Shield began to spin at incredible speed. The Megazord held it out in front, allowing the missiles to strike it – and bounce right back towards Desert Rat! Struck by his own attack, the monster knew that this was a fight he was about to lose!

“Strike Turrets, ready” Simon announced, raising the Megazord’s right arm. The tank turrets from the other four Zords now reappeared, one turret attaching itself to each side of the arm. The turrets now extended beyond the fist. The Megazord thrust its arm forward, aiming the attached Strike Turrets towards their target.

“Fire!” the Rangers declared together. The four Strike Turrets emitted powerful and continuous laser beams, landing a direct hit on Desert Rat. The monster collapsed to the ground, the customary explosion confirming the Rangers’ latest victory.

*

The Rangers gave themselves a well-earned rest in the lounge area of the Ultrastar HQ. All except Andrew had practically collapsed onto the couches in their weariness.

“Egypt is not an easy place to fight in” breathed Amy. “Not exactly the most ideal working conditions.”

“I hear that” Andrew had to agree. “Hopefully we won’t have to go there again any time soon.”

“But on the plus side, it gave us the perfect opportunity to test out the new Desert Strike” said Jessica. “New suits, weapons and gear… and those new Zords were incredible!”

“Tell me about it” Jack added. “And if what Katrina said was true, we might have even more to come.”

“Well Rangers,” spoke up Simon, “if I may be so bold, I’ve got to say that we’re off to a great start. We’ve now got two Hydra’s Teeth under our belts, and Lizzax has yet to score! Wherever he is, I bet he’s not too happy!”

*

For yet another time, the Technicals were blasted across the bridge of the ship by Lizzax’s electrical laser beam. This time, Blaze also received the punishment – even though he had not had anything to do with this latest failure! Lizzax kept the pressure on as he walked slowly towards them. His eyes were once again solid red in colour, indicating his rage:

“You incompetent fools!” he snarled. “A Hydra’s Tooth so very nearly within my grasp, and you let it slip through your fingers!”

“My Lord… please…” Squawk tried to cry out through the pain.

“Forgive us…” added Screech. Blaze just remained silent and gritted his teeth instead – he knew better than to talk back to his master.

“Why do I keep you pathetic excuses for evil beings in my service?” Lizzax continued his enraged roars. “You are completely worthless! What are you?”

“Com…pletely… worthless…” the Technicals choked out in unison. Lizzax finally lowered his arms and ceased his electrical beams. He decided he had punished these buffoons enough for the time being, although the red remaining in his eyes revealed that his anger had not in the slightest bit subsided. However, he had nothing left to say to these idiots.

Leaving Blaze and the Technicals gasping for breath on the floor, Lizzax just turned around and walked out of the room.

bushwacka666

07-30-2005, 05:53 AM

The monster Archangel returns to bother the Rangers once more, and their quick defeat leaves their confidence shaken. As the one responsible for them, can General Steven Bennet convince the Rangers to keep fighting?

***

Just wanted to say thanks to anyone and everyone who's been sticking with this fic thus far! Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter and finally seeing what's so special about this team.

There'll be a lot more to come too - just so you know, any chapter title that starts with the word Operation will be one that introduces a new Op File for the Rangers to use, and another mission to find a Hydra's Tooth crystal.

Well I'll catch you guys later. Spent some time updating the database as well - check out the list below! :)

bushwacka666

07-30-2005, 05:57 AM

- All the pics had gone down, but I've put them all back up now.

- Ally and villain info & pics added to "Characters" section.

- Ultrastar Rangers info updated in "Op Files" section.

- Desert Strike info added to "Op Files" section.

- Desert Strike info added to "Zords" section.

- Renewed YouSendIt link for Theme in "Media" section.

Zord_Crazy

07-30-2005, 02:23 PM

Desert Strike Rangers, eh?! Pretty soon you'll have to start a new fic, "Pimp My Ranger!"" Hahaha! *breathes deep* OH boy. But seriously, great work once again, BW. No major charcter development., justa good solid "G vs E" story (Good vs Evil). Kudos!

bushwacka666

07-30-2005, 03:00 PM

lol thanks m8, glad you liked. Yeah character development was lacking in that chapter, (although Nikita started to wonder about why the Rangers keep ditching her - that'll play out further down the line), but the "Operation" chapters will focus more on the fights for those Hydra's Teeth, and which side get them. It's my excuse to keep busting out new shit! :D

But hey, you want character development? Well you'll have to be patient, but trust me - there's a LOT to come! ;)

Jacen

07-30-2005, 04:22 PM

...
WOW...

I think that pretty much sums it up. That was awesome.

EDIT: I just looked over the suits and zords in the database. I think they need a bit of work, but their cool anyway :D

EDIT again: Bush, forget it with the YSI thing. I have placed the file at
http://xares.net/bw/prso_theme.mp3

bushwacka666

07-31-2005, 04:39 AM

Thanks Jacen, appreciated. :)

"A bit of work"? Are you kidding? The pics suck! I said I can't sing - and I can't draw either! lol. :D

But them looking good doesn't matter to me really. As long as they can give you the general idea, I'm happy. One comment I've had from a few people in the past was that they could easily picture the action in their minds, as if it were a TV episode. Easy to do when I reused old Sentai suits, but if I'm making up my own then I need to provide some pics to keep that thing going. The main emphasis here is on the fic itself, pics and music are just add-ons. (Having said that though, there should be one pic that'll look better. Time will tell.)

And on the subject of music: well thanks for that hosting. I assume that's your personal webspace? If so, very generous of you m8 thanks. FYI though: there's 3 more tracks to come, so if you're up for those too... :023:

Jacen

07-31-2005, 12:19 PM

And on the subject of music: well thanks for that hosting. I assume that's your personal webspace? If so, very generous of you m8 thanks. FYI though: there's 3 more tracks to come, so if you're up for those too...
*nods* I can do that. I got 25gb of bandwidth a month going to waste :P (I onlu use 2gb of it a month :P)
Yes, it's my personal webhosting

Heh, the pics could be better... but I can't even get that far :D Through I do like the background music in the theme

bushwacka666

08-18-2005, 06:19 AM

Another day in Water Rose City. Morphed and ready, the Rangers patrolled the city streets, on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary.

“I don’t see anything unusual” Amy reported to the others. “Are Ultrastar certain they picked up a monster out here?”

“I don’t think you could get a false alarm with this sort of thing Amy” replied Jessica.

“I just hate it when they start hiding like this” Jack admitted. “It makes me nervous.”

“You and me both man,” Simon agreed, “but we know they’re all going down anyway, so don’t sweat it!”

“You humans are so foolish…”

The Rangers stopped in their tracks. They were all sure they recognised that voice that came from behind them. Slowly, they turned around…

“Archangel,” Simon stated, “you’re back.”

“Indeed I am, Red Ranger” sneered the metal angel-like monster, an opponent they had faced before, but who had escaped from their first encounter.

“I warned you that you had not seen the last of me,” he continued.

“Well we were kind of hoping you were bluffing…” quipped Jack.

Archangel let out an evil chuckle: “On the contrary, I mean what I say, and right now I say that you will finally meet your end.”

“Well hey, if you’re up for a showdown,” replied Andrew, “then so are we.”

“Ultra Weapons!” called the Rangers, summoning their unique weapons into their hands. Archangel just chuckled again – he was looking forward to this.

Archangel fired off the feather missiles from his wings, blasting the ground around the Rangers, but they were able to run through and advance towards their opponent. Jack tried his luck first, readying his Ultra Staff and making his move, using it to block Archangel’s punches. Hoping to catch him off-guard, Jack suddenly brought up the bottom end of the Ultra Staff to strike into his side. The strike was successful, but the result was not. Archangel merely cackled as he reached down and grabbed the Ultra Staff, swinging it around and pulling Jack with it. As Archangel let go, Jack staggered back and lost his balance, toppling to the ground.

Andrew moved in next, delivering two strong slashes with his Ultra Sword – which had absolutely no effect. Andrew was surprised but had no time to lose his concentration. He was now raising the Ultra Sword in defence as Archangel unleashed his own attacks. Andrew was not prepared for a sudden kick, however, and he staggered back. The other three Rangers took this as their cue to try their luck. Amy and Jessica advanced together, trying to literally ram Archangel with the Ultra Cannon and Ultra Rifle. Archangel grabbed onto the weapons’ barrels to hold them back. Seeing his chance, Simon came in between the girls to slam the Ultra Gloves into Archangel’s unprotected chest. Archangel just stood firm, seemingly unaffected by Simon’s attacks and not relaxing his grip on Amy and Jessica’s weapons either. Then, deciding he had finally had enough, he fired his feather missiles again to blast the trio down.

Simon was quicker to recover than the girls, and paired up with Andrew as they planned to launch a coordinated strike with Jack. While Jack aimed the Ultra Staff to sweep Archangel off his feet, Simon allowed Andrew to leap off his shoulders in order to gain extra height for a descending slash with the Ultra Sword.

Archangel would have none of it. He jumped into the air over the sweeping Ultra Staff, then reaching the airborne Andrew and slamming a kick into his chest to knock him back down to Earth. Andrew’s fall was broken only by Simon who was unfortunately standing in the way. Archangel returned to the ground, where Amy and Jessica were waiting. They opened fire with their Ultra Weapons, but Archangel just calmly turned his back on them, the lasers impacting harmlessly on his wings. The Rangers regrouped once more – which gave Archangel his cue to suddenly turn back around and fire two strong laser beams from his arms. Caught unprepared, the Rangers were blasted full force and crashed to the ground.

“As I said before,” Archangel gloated, “you humans are foolish. You cannot stop me this time, and you would do well to remember that.”

With one final laugh, Archangel disappeared, leaving the defeated Rangers struggling on the sidewalk.

*

The Rangers returned to HQ, now crashing out in the lounge area. Steven and Katrina sat with them to check up on how the battle had gone.

“Well I think that went well,” Jack moaned, “what about you guys?”

“Oh Jack, quit messing around and tell it like it actually is” Jessica told him. “We sucked!”

“Oh come on guys…” Katrina began, but she was cut off.

“He seemed stronger somehow” Andrew reflected on their opponent. “He was even worse than the first time we fought him.”

“And he gave us a run for our money back then!” added Amy.

“Stop being so hard on yourself” Katrina told them. “You guys did the best you could.”

“But it wasn’t good enough” sighed Simon. “Archangel had the upper hand, and he knew it. There was no way we could have stopped him.”

Steven remained silent, pondering over the Rangers’ current attitude. He didn’t like the tone of their remarks…

*

“Squawk and Screech: I would like to personally congratulate you two on the improvements you have made to Archangel” Lizzax commended his two uni-bodied servants. “The Rangers were barely in the battle before being utterly defeated!”

“Not to mention humiliated” added Blaze. “That was a very fun fight to watch.”

“We are thankful that you are pleased, my Lord” replied Screech. “Squawk and I worked hard on making Archangel even more stronger than before.”

“If you ever wanted a monster that can stop the Rangers from interfering with your search for the Hydra’s Teeth,” Squawk chimed in, “then we can safely assure you that Archangel is that monster.”

“I certainly hope so” said Lizzax, the yellow tint in his eyes indicating his elation. “When the Rangers return for another attempt, I want Archangel to finish them off. Make sure he shows no mercy.”

The Technicals bowed down their long necks, and replied in unison: “It shall be done, my Lord.”

*

“The first time we fought him, he almost took us out” Jessica whined. “Now that his power’s been increased even more, there’s no way we can stop him now.”

“You mustn’t think like that Jessica” Katrina scolded. “None of you should.”

“Why not?” exclaimed Simon. “Archangel’s just too strong for us. We couldn’t even destroy him the first time, so what hope have we got now? Every attack we made didn’t even scratch him. Face it – we’ve lost!”

Steven rose to his feet: he had finally had enough of this!

“Alright that’s it, I don’t want to hear any more of that attitude!” he snapped at them. “A temporary setback is not a lost battle.”

“But sir,” Jack protested, “what kind of Rangers are we if we can’t even stop this one monster? We’re complete failures!”

“I don’t believe I just heard that, especially from you Jack! None of you are failures, and I don’t want you thinking otherwise.”

Andrew shook his head: “But Archangel…”

“I don’t believe he’s so tough” Steven cut him off. “What, you think other Rangers haven’t been in the same position you guys are in now? You think they haven’t faced a powerful enemy before that they had seemingly no chance against? Well I’ve got news for you guys – they have.” He sat back down in his chair. “Every Ranger team that ever existed has had their share of tough battles, battles they thought may have been their last. But you know what? They came through. They stuck with it and kept trying, and in the end, they emerged victorius.”

“No offence sir,” Andrew shook his head, “but what would you know about what it’s like being a Ranger?”

Katrina smiled: “Um, are you forgetting who you’re talking to here? General Bennet was both the Primal Ranger and the Red Zodiac Ranger, remember?”

“Oh right,” Andrew now recalled being informed of that when the Rangers were first recruited, “I forgot…”

Simon sat forward in his seat and faced Steven: “So, you’ve had some tough fights?”

Steven chuckled: “Oh yeah! For instance, there was this one time…”

~BACKFLASH~

“No!” cried Steven.

“Oh yes!” retorted Mannix. “Its power is mine!”

Suddenly, the X-Crystal began to glow within Mannix’s hand. Soon, the whole fist itself was glowing a bright red. Mannix cackled again as the energy began to spread rapidly over his entire body.

“This can’t be good” muttered Steven.

Now in possession of the X-Crystal, Mannix’s metal body began to change shape. The torso and limbs seemed to generally increase in size, literally swelling and increasing in mass. Steven thought it was an instant muscular increase, although it shouldn’t have been possible considering the fact that Mannix was an android. But it was at that point that Steven noticed the sudden absence of metal from Mannix’s body – it had actually converted into an organic material.

Mannix’s transformation continued, his entire body transforming into a scaly black skin, with bunches of sharp claws appearing on his hands and feet. Finally, his head also changed into another form. No longer styled as a lion, the head now resembled an alligator or something similar. Rows of jagged teeth protruded from the jaws, as the two eyes glared a fiery red.

Steven stared at the new form of Mannix before him. He reached up to his helmet and tapped the side to activate the communicator:

“Watchdog, uh…we have a problem!”

The Primal Ranger only just managed to duck a vicious swiping claw, and tried to bring his own kick to the back. He made contact, but no impact. Steven tried a harder tornado kick, again landing a clean hit, but again causing nothing but a slight tap to Mannix’s resilient body. The powered general just laughed at his opponent’s unsuccessful attempts.

“Pathetic!” he sneered, before delivering a painful backhand straight to Steven’s head. Steven staggered backwards, the protection of his helmet slightly compromised by the powerful force.

“That does it Mannix!” Steven cried in anger.

“That’s Super Mannix to you!” retorted Mannix.

Steven ignored the comment: “Primal Flame!”

The blade of the Primal Sword instantly ignited in flames, and Steven dove in for the final slash…

Super Mannix beat him to it. Thrusting both arms forward once more, he fired two powerful green laser beams from the claws. Too quick for Steven to react, he received the full brunt of the blast, forcing him to change direction in midair. He landed back on the ground with a hard thud.

No sooner had Steven landed, he automatically de-morphed. His now visible face expressed the pain he felt, teeth clenched together.

“My mission to obtain the X-Crystal is complete!” Super Mannix declared triumphantly. “Now the entire city is my playground, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me!”

With that, he teleported away in a ball of light, the few remaining Disruptions disappearing with him. A weak Steven was left sprawled out on the ground, with only the faint echoes of Super Mannix’s laughter left to ring in his ears.

~END BACKFLASH~

“Damn!” Jessica exclaimed. “That had to hurt!”

“It did!” Steven confirmed. “But you see? There was a villain I fought who was really powerful. Whatever attack I tried, it didn’t have any effect on him. But I’m still standing here today.”

“But how?” asked Amy. “I mean, how did you finally stop him?”

“Well I had a little help…”

~BACKFLASH~

Steven assumed his battle-ready pose: “Primal Armour, power up!”

Super Mannix stared at Steven’s new trump card. Even he involuntarily took a step backwards as he witnessed his opponent, ready for another round.

“Alright, you asked me to bring it on…” Steven taunted.

“It’ll take more than that to stop me, Primal Ranger” roared Super Mannix. Reaching up, he grabbed Steven and hurled him across the city centre. Steven landed hard, but was largely unaffected thanks to the Primal Armour. He returned to his feet within seconds. Super Mannix seemed to grow more frustrated as he too stood back up. Thrusting his claws forward, he fired off laser beams in Steven’s direction. However, the Armour absorbed the blasts. An unfazed Steven ran towards his enemy, the lasers exploding harmlessly around him. Jumping again, he slammed a gold-plated fist into Super Mannix’s chest, causing him to stagger backwards. Hand-to-hand combat then followed, as each fighter tried to block each other’s punches, while at the same time trying to land their own. But Super Mannix was not expecting the kick to his midsection, and Steven got the upper hand.

“Time to end this!” declared Steven. “Primal Laser!”

On command, the clear dome in the chest began to glow, the white light becoming brighter by the second. Suddenly, a large white energy beam fired from the dome with such force, that Steven actually had to shift his weight forward to stop himself being knocked back. Super Mannix had no time to react. All he could do was cry out in protest as the Primal Laser landed a direct hit. Super Mannix collapsed to the ground, before becoming engulfed in a fiery explosion.

~END BACKFLASH~

“Awesome!” Jack exclaimed, imagining the scene in his own mind.

“I agree,” Andrew added, “but it’s not really the same thing. You got some special armour to help you win that one, but unless you’ve got the same kind of gear for us…”

Andrew turned to Katrina – their tech expert – but she just shrugged her shoulders in response.

“Didn’t think so” he said.

“Alright then,” Steven told them, “allow me to present Exhibit B…”

~BACKFLASH~

“Persistent aren’t you, Primal Ranger?” sneered Mannix, still holding on to a frightened Tara.

“Always” replied Steven. He turned towards Tara: “Are you alright… miss?”

“Oh yeah” replied Tara, still scared but somehow managing to voice a sarcastic tone. “You know, this is something I do all the time…”

“Silence you pathetic human!” snapped Mannix. “So what are you going to do Primal Ranger?”

“I’m gonna ask you nicely once more, to let the girl go!”

“As you wish…”

Suddenly, Mannix effortlessly picked up Tara – and threw her over the edge of the building.

“Tara!” cried Steven, shocked that Mannix would actually throw an innocent civilian off a tall building roof. But now was not the time to think about that. He had to act fast – and now!

Steven took a deep breath – and leaped off the building after her. Already Tara was screaming out as she descended faster and faster. Steven was following her down, praying that he would reach her before she reached the ground!

At the last second, Steven caught Tara in midair. Then moving into a roll, he landed on his feet, Tara lying in his arms.

“Are you alright?” he asked her.

“Yeah…” she breathed with relief. “You…you saved me.”

“All part of the job.”

~END BACKFLASH~

“The girl was falling from that building at a rapid rate” Steven told the Rangers. “I had to make a decision quicker than I ever had before, and only by leaping off the roof myself was I able to reach her in time. The odds were against me on that one, but thanks to a bit of courage and determination, I managed to save her.”

Amy smiled: “I bet she’s doing great now, and thankful to you for it.”

“Err, yes well…” Steven stammered. He hesitated for a moment. He had to remind himself that now wasn’t the time to think about it all. Once again, he had to try and push away his thoughts of Tara – later he could allow himself to cave in, but not now. Not in front of the others. Katrina noticed Steven’s reaction, and she understood. But she too had to keep her thoughts to herself.

“Okay sir, I see where you’re coming from,” Simon admitted, “but I still don’t know. I just can’t see any way of stopping Archangel this time.”

“Rangers, you only truly lose if you give up hope” replied Steven. “Even when all seems hopeless, if you still have faith in yourselves, then you can succeed.

“Have you got any old war stories to back that one up?” Jack asked him.

“Well as a matter of fact…”

~BACKFLASH~

Steven and Michelle continued their fight against the Sludges. Unfortunately there were just too many of them – practically a small army. This made the duo certain they had gotten close to the portal, but right now that was the last thing on their minds! Their efforts to repel the Sludges were beginning to show some weakness, as wave after wave of the slimy soldiers continued to advance.

Michelle cartwheeled to the side, allowing herself a bit more room to fight. Her Star Laser Sword raised, she sent strikes into three of the Sludges to beat them back. More approached, and she fended them off with a varied combination of slashes and kicks.

“Water power!” she called, sending out a miniature wave from her Aquamarine RingStone. The water formed a large puddle on the ground, causing several more Sludges to slip and clutter in a heap. However, there were still many more to contend with, and Michelle just didn’t know if she could keep going for much longer.

Glancing over, she realised that Steven seemed to be having an even harder time than she was. The Red Ranger was exhausted, trying to remain focused, but only managing to deliver a few weak slashes with his Star Laser Sword. The Sludges took full advantage, and a quick and strong kick from one of them sent the weapon flying out of his grip.

Steven tried his best to fight back, just managing to slam a hard kick into that very same Sludge. But he knew he couldn’t keep this up forever: he was so worn out, and they just kept coming…

A forceful charge from two Sludges was finally too much for Steven. He was knocked to the ground, and de-morphed from the strain.

“Steven!” cried Michelle, seeing her friend in trouble. “Hold on, I’m coming!”

Michelle was weak herself, but she summoned up all the strength she could to fight her way towards her grounded leader. Unfortunately, she knew she wouldn’t be able to move fast enough as she saw a Sludge pick up Steven’s Star Laser Sword off the ground, and charge him with it.

Unmorphed and unprotected, Steven had no way to defend himself against the sword’s blade. It struck him straight across his chest, causing him to yell out in intense agony. Then suddenly he was silent once more. He collapsed again, his body limp.

“STEVEN, NO!” Michelle screamed, sending all the force she could into the offending Sludge, knocking it down. Immediately she crouched down beside her fallen friend.

“Steven! Steven, talk to me!” she sobbed out. “Please Steven, answer me!”

There was no reply. Steven’s eyes were closed, his body completely motionless.

He wasn’t breathing.

~END BACKFLASH~

“I almost died,” Steven recalled, “because of your standard foot soldier. A hell of a lot of them, granted, but still just a foot soldier nonetheless. I lay there in hospital, my life well and truly on the line. If there was ever a time when I thought everything was lost, that was it.”

“And yet, here you are now, safe and sound” said Katrina with a smile.

Steven returned the smile: “Indeed. You see Rangers, I couldn’t back down. I had to keep on fighting, and make myself pull through. I knew the rest of my team were counting on me, my friends – and not to mention everyone else in Angel Grove! It was all the incentive I needed to push myself even harder than before. I just couldn’t let everyone else down. I knew that I had to fight and I had to win, no matter what.”

“So despite facing the impossible, you made it” realised Jessica.

“Exactly. I had faith in myself, and my team-mates had faith in me too. If I may be so blunt, that’s what I think you guys are lacking right now: you need to believe in yourselves. But even more than that, you need to believe in each other. A team only functions at their best when they can trust each other, when one member knows they can rely on the others to stand by them, support them, and set the example of how they themselves should be.”

Steven rose to his feet again, looking at each of the Rangers in turn:

“When you have that kind of trust, nothing can defeat you.”

With that, Steven extended his arm out in front of him, his hand facing down. Simon recognised the gesture, and with a smile, he stood up.

“You’re right sir” he said to the General. “You’ve had to face some pretty tough challenges yourself, and you always managed to win the day. And loads of other Rangers have done the same, so I know we can too. Besides, after Kyle died, I vowed that I would keep on fighting in his memory – I won’t back down now!”

Simon outstretched his arm, placing his hand on top of Steven’s.

“I agree” said Amy. “I’ve had experience before with giving up on something – I thought my dreams for gymnastics were gone forever, but I recently started to reconsider building my confidence. Why should this be any different?”

She got to her feet and put her hand onto Simon’s.

“I also know what it’s like to keep fighting for something that’s worth it” Jack now spoke up, also standing. “It takes a long time, but I know that the black belt will be mine – I’ll get there in the end. Same goes here.”

Jack added his hand to the pile.

Next was Andrew’s turn as he stood: “Sometimes, things happen that surprise you – things that you never thought would be possible before. I never thought reconciling with my brother would be possible, but we’re finally working on it. That also needs a huge effort, but if I can do that, then I can do this too.”

Andrew put his hand with the others.

Jessica now got up from her chair: “I thought I knew how I was going to live my life, because my computer obsession really isolated me from socialising with friends. I figured I’d be a real loner for many years, trying to cover up my hacking stunts from the Feds. But things change – I’ve already learned so much since becoming a Ranger. I’ve met new friends, and Jack taught me to have faith in my abilities. Now it’s time to really put that to the test.”

Jessica placed her hand on top of Andrew’s.

Steven smiled: “Now these are the Rangers that I’m proud to know.”

Katrina walked over and flashed a grin as she rested her own hand on the top of the others:

“Okay guys, go get that angelic a-hole!”

“Right!” the Rangers declared, heading for the exit to return to the city. Steven and Katrina watched them go:

“I’ve got to hand it to you sir,” began Katrina, “you sure know how to motivate them.”

“I have faith in them,” Steven replied, “and as long as they do too, they’ll be just fine.”

“Well, I’ll head over to the control centre and keep an eye on them. What about you?”

Steven thought for a moment: “After all that reminiscing about the old days, I’m going to pay another visit to the Vault.”

Katrina nodded knowingly – she understood perfectly.

“Take as much time as you need sir.”

*

Back in the city, Archangel rampaged his way through, using his arm laser beams to blast anything and everything that was within range. His evil chuckles rang through the air as he took in the sight of the destruction he had caused.

“Hey!” called a voice. It was only a single word, but it was enough to attract Archangel’s attention. He turned around: the five Rangers stood opposite him, their Ultra Weapons at the ready once more.

“Back again Rangers?” he asked, more amused than surprised. “You seem set on continuously making fatal mistakes.”

“The only one who’s making a mistake around here is you!” retorted Jack. “This time you’ve gone too far!”

Simon nodded to the others: “Let’s go guys!”

The others agreed, and began to advance. Amy and Jessica provided some cover fire while the boys moved in close. This time they had to put more thought into their attacks – they had to overpower Archangel. And it seemed to be working: Jack and Andrew moved in synchronisation, running each side of their opponent and sweeping their weapons across his sides. Simon now leapt into the air to descend feet first. He slammed into Archangel’s chest with a couple of sharp kicks, then used his legs to push himself off Archangel’s chest, rotate in the air before striking again with his Ultra Glove-covered fists. These attacks proved to have a much greater effect on the monster, who staggered back wearily. Simon landed on the ground on his front, but he was quick to recover. Still laying down, he spun round and latched his legs around Archangel’s as tight as he could, rooting the enemy to the spot.

“Now guys!” Simon called out. Amy and Jessica responded to their cue, leaping forward with the Ultra Cannon and Ultra Rifle in their hands. Still airborne, they opened fire from above, showering Archangel with a barrage of laser fire. Archangel retaliated by firing his arm lasers that struck Amy and Jessica in midair. The girls fell to the ground, but this time their confidence and determination were with them. They quickly returned to their feet, resolving not to give up so easily this time.

Archangel was trying to struggle free, but Simon’s vice-like legs still held him fast.

“Hurry guys,” he yelled, “I can’t keep him still for much longer!”

Jack and Andrew didn’t need telling twice! They charged back in from behind Archangel, thrusting the Ultra Staff and Ultra Sword forwards and literally jabbed them in…

The sparks flew in all directions as Archangel’s metal wings were severed from his back, clattering noisily to the tarmac road. Archangel let out a roar of anger and pain as he received this major damage. Simon finally released his grip after twisting his legs around, which sent Archangel toppling to the ground.

The Rangers now regrouped, giving themselves a few cheers at their successful attack run. Archangel slowly struggled back to his feet, in disbelief over what had just happened.

“You have humiliated me!” he snarled. “You ripped off my wings! How is this possible?”

“Because we believe in ourselves, and in each other” Andrew told him.

“We’re a team,” added Jessica, “and a team knows how to work together.”

“And now,” Simon announced, “it’s time for this team to work together to put an end to this, once and for all…”

The Rangers combined their Ultra Weapons, taking aim on the now helpless Archangel. The team declared together, firm and proud:

“Ultrastar Launcher, fire!”

The Launcher fired its Ultra Sword-missile, landing a direct hit. Archangel let out a final cry of defeat, as he collapsed amid the explosion.

*

Lord Lizzax witnessed Archangel’s destruction on his view screen. Once more his eyes began to change into a solid red colour. He was angry – very angry! His entire body began to tremble as he attempted to suppress his rage…

It wasn’t working. And Blaze knew this: he quietly but quickly snuck out of the room, not wanting to be around for the virtual volcanic eruption that he knew was about to burst forth.

Unfortunately the Technicals were not so swift to make their escape. When Lizzax turned around from the screen, they were standing right there, alone and just in the way. Lizzax growled, bearing the two rows of his sharp lizard-like teeth. Squawk and Screech reared back their heads, fearing what was going to happen…

Outside the room, Blaze winced once he heard the Technicals wail out in agony, their screams reverberating along the corridors of the ship. Part of him even felt kind of sorry for them. After all, they did try their best – it was all they could do. But Lizzax tended to expect much more from them than was actually possible.

On the other hand, who was Blaze to question his master’s actions? He was Lord Lizzax, the dangerous and the vile. Blaze considered it an hour to be in his service, to be the general of such an infamous and powerful creature of evil. All Blaze had to do was stay on his good side, something which the Technicals sometimes had trouble doing. Blaze pondered: maybe they were to blame after all.

Blaze vacated the area as quickly as he could, not wishing to hear the screams any longer.

bushwacka666

08-18-2005, 06:22 AM

The Rangers run a search for another Hydra's Tooth, their latest Op File mode proving invaluable against the monster they have to face. But the question is: which side will obtain the crystal?

Zord_Crazy

08-18-2005, 10:45 AM

WHAT or WHO is in the vault?

Jacen

08-18-2005, 12:32 PM

Amazing. I'm loving it...

But I agree... what is in that vault?

bushwacka666

08-19-2005, 05:36 AM

BWAHAHAHA! Wouldn't you like to know? :D

Seriously though: there's actually quite a few things up in the air right now. Some mysteries, like what's the purpose of the Vault, are pretty easy to spot. But there are some others that have much more subtle hints, and you can find them if you look hard enough.

And there's going to be a lot more happening. This chapter was mostly just a filler, although I did write it to make sure Special Ops linked in with the previous two fics (all those backflashes were copied/pasted straight from old chapters - quicker that way! :D ).

But everything about the Vault will be revealed by Chapter 18, and over time I'll be introducing many more storylines and plot twists - I just hope you'll find it was all worth the wait! ;)

bushwacka666

09-02-2005, 06:37 AM

On board Lizzax’s ship, the Technicals pressed a few buttons on the computer panel in front of them. They wanted to be sure about this – and luckily they were.

“It is definitely a Tooth, my Lord” Squawk reported. “We are certain.”

Lizzax stepped up beside the Technicals, intrigued by the prospect of finally obtaining one of these crystals.

“Where is it?” he asked.

“Somewhere in a city that the humans call Los Angeles” replied Screech. “An extremely populated area.”

“Human interference could be an issue” Blaze added.

“Humans are of no concern to me whatsoever Blaze” Lizzax reminded his general. “Are you saying they are to you?”

Blaze chuckled his amusement: “No, my Lord. Humans are worthless.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Technicals: you know the procedure – get me that Tooth!”

*

Meanwhile, the Rangers assembled in the lab of the Ultrastar HQ, where Steven awaited their arrival.

“Reporting as ordered General” Simon announced, saluting with the others.

“At ease Rangers” Steven instructed them. “Thanks for coming down.”

“What’s going on sir?” Jessica asked him.

“Katrina and her team have finished their new program for your Op Drives, and she wanted to show you in person. Katrina, show them what you’ve got.”

On hearing her name, Katrina stepped out from around the corner, holding some sort of remote control device in her hands. The Rangers looked on in anticipation.

“Rangers,” began the young technician, “my team and I have been working on several Op File programs for quite a long time. Desert Strike was the first one we completed, and now you’ve used that one in combat, we’re confident that we’re definitely onto something special here. Now we recently completed the second Op File, and it’s ready for unveiling.”

“So what is it?” enquired Andrew.

“Well knowing that you’ve got a city to protect, we created a whole new arsenal of equipment designed for urban patrol and defence. The main element of this will be your new state-of-the-art vehicles. So without any further ado, may I present to you the basis of your new Op File – Street Racer.”

With the introduction over, Katrina aimed her remote and pressed a button. Immediately a number of lights burst into brightness behind her, illuminating the previously dark room. The Rangers let out appreciative gasps as they took in the sight of five motorcycles, each one mostly silver in colour, with lightning-style streaks in the colour of their respective Ranger. Black-shaded windshields protruded from the front, and laser cannons were mounted on each side. The Rangers walked over to examine the bikes up close.

“They’re called the Street Strikers,” Katrina told them, “and they’re only accessible through the Street Racer Op File. Much faster than your MantaStars, although we did have to sacrifice some of the weaponry power for it. If you need to get somewhere fast, these will help you do it!”

“Awesome!” Jack declared. “What else is there?”

“You’ve also got a new mobile command centre called the Urban Command. Plus new suits, gear and Zords, of course.”

“Very cool” exclaimed Jessica. “Lizzax’s freaks better watch out!”

“Okay Rangers,” Steven spoke up, “the time to put Street Racer to the test will come soon enough. For now, feel free to go off and keep yourselves busy, but stay alert in case anything happens.”

“Yes sir” the team replied. With another salute, they left the lab. Steven started to follow them out, but hesitated when he heard a heavy sigh behind him. Turning back around, he watched Katrina slowly making her way back to her office at the far end of the lab. Observing her body language, he could tell that she lacked the usual spring in her step. He decided to follow after her, walking into her office.

“Alright,” he began, “what’s the matter?”

“Oh nothing sir” she replied, sitting down at her desk. “It’s nothing.”

Steven didn’t buy it: “Katrina…”

Katrina let out a sigh of defeat, and then looked up at her employer:

“General… do I do a good job?”

“Are you kidding me? You do an amazing job – Ultrastar simply wouldn’t be what it is today without your contribution! Why would you even think otherwise?”

“Have you noticed that I never get thanked for my work?”

“What are you talking about? I always thank you, don’t I?”

“Yeah I know, but I didn’t mean by you sir. I meant by the Rangers. Since they were recruited, I’m the one who gave them their powers, reprogrammed Simon and Andrew’s Morphers in the nick of time, supplied them with their weapons, vehicles, Zords, new Op Files which could make all the difference… - and I’ve never had even a thank you from any of them!”

“I see” said Steven, nodding understandingly. “You’re sure they’ve never said it? I mean, not even once?”

“Not even once” Katrina confirmed.

“Not that I’m supporting them in this, but they know you’re the brains of the outfit, and everything they can do is due to the efforts of you and your team. I’m sure they actually do appreciate all you’ve done for them.”

Katrina sighed again: “Yeah I guess, but would it hurt to still get a little confirmation of that? Surely one little thank you wouldn’t be too much hassle?”

Steven cracked a little amused smile. Katrina noticed his reaction:

“I’m coming across pretty selfish, aren’t I?”

“Honestly? Yes, maybe a little” Steven admitted with a grin. “But that’s okay. I think we’re allowed to be like that sometimes. I don’t see anything wrong with wanting a little recognition for all your hard work. And you’re right: the Rangers do owe you some appreciation.”

“I guess the only thing is to just keep on doing what I’m doing, try my best, and hope they finally decide to thank me for a change.”

“Perhaps, but are you sure that’s all that you can do?”

Katrina was confused: “What else is there, sir?”

“Katrina, you’re only 17 years old. You might be a technical genius who can design and build all sorts of weapons and Zords, but you’re still a teenager with your whole life ahead of you – just like the Rangers. And being the same age as they are, maybe it wouldn’t hurt if you made the effort to spend some time with them outside of the HQ. Get out of the lab for a change and just hang out with them. Once they get to know you as a person, and not just a scientist, maybe they might learn to appreciate you a little more.”

Katrina thought about Steven’s advice. She had to admit that he had a point: maybe she should be trying to act more like the Rangers’ friend, rather than their colleague. Besides, she did spend way too much time involved in her work – a little R&R might be a good idea.

“Yeah, maybe I could give that a try” she spoke with a smile. “Thanks General.”

“My pleasure” replied Steven.

Suddenly, the alarm blared through the base.

“However,” Steven now added, “there’s a time and a place for everything. Right now it sounds like we have a job to do.”

Katrina responded with a nod, then followed Steven to the control centre.

*

Los Angeles: one of the most well-known, most popular and most populated cities in the USA. Armies of people and hoards of cars littered the area. Amid the civilian vehicles, a large silver armoured truck rumbled through the streets. Simon sat at the wheel, the other Rangers beside him.

Street Racer was active. The team wore biker-style suits, with black gloves; boots and shoulder pads. Their helmets were even reminiscent of motorcycle helmets. As Simon drove the Urban Command, the others watched Andrew as he operated the scanning equipment. The Blue Ranger gave a confused shake of the head as he fiddled with some of the dials.

“What have you got, Andrew?” Jack asked him.

“The scanners are definitely picking up a monster,” Andrew reported, “and quite nearby. What I don’t understand are some of these readings.”

“What do you mean?” asked Amy.

“Well according to this, the monster’s moving, like, 85 miles an hour – and it’s coming closer!”

Jessica shook her head: “No monster can move that fast… can they?”

“Well since it’s now almost beside us, we should be able to see for ourselves.”

Sure enough, and a large roar of engines rang through the air mere seconds later, accompanied by the screech of tyres as several cars were forced to swerve out of the way. The Rangers peered out of the windshield to see some sort of dune buggy vehicle speeding straight for them head-on. Sitting behind the wheel of the dull grey buggy was a strange creature with a black body, white hands, and its most distinguishing feature: a yellow head that had permanently fixed wide bulging eyes and an open jaw-dropped mouth. From the brief time that she had to look, Jessica was reminded of that artwork The Scream that had been painted by that Munch guy. It was pretty creepy, she had to admit.

“He’s heading straight for us!” cried Amy.

“Hang on to your lunch!” called Simon, before forcing the steering wheel to the side. The Urban Command swerved to the left at the last moment, narrowly avoiding the buggy by mere inches. The Urban Command screeched to a halt as the Rangers tried to calm down after the near-miss.

“Is everyone ok?” Andrew asked the others, who nodded their confirmation.

“Talk about reckless driving” Jessica muttered. “Sooner or later he’s going to hurt somebody.”

“Not if we have anything to do about it” replied Simon. “Let’s move.”

Simon started the Urban Command off again, performing a sharp 180 degree turn before heading off in the direction that it had just come from, chasing after the monster and its buggy vehicle.

“He’s fast” noted Jack.

“Then we slow him down” replied Simon, pressing a button on the dashboard. The Urban Command fired its lasers mounted on the bonnet, striking the ground around the buggy and causing it to swerve slightly, although landing a direct hit proved difficult.

“We can’t keep doing that,” Andrew warned, “it’s too risky with all these people around. We need to get in closer.”

“You’re right” Simon agreed. “Switching Urban Command to autopilot. Let’s go.”

Simon pressed another button to allow the Urban Command to drive itself, then he and the others moved through the door behind them that led to the back of the truck. There, their new Street Strikers awaited them. They quickly mounted the bikes and prepared for action.

On the left side of the Urban Command, two platforms extended outwards, one on top of the other. Jessica sat astride her Street Striker on the top platform, with Jack doing the same underneath. The same then happened on the other side, with Amy on the top and Andrew below her. Finally, a hatch opened up in the Urban Command’s roof, allowing Simon and his Street Striker to raise up and out. The Rangers revved the engines on their new vehicles.

“Ok guys, go for it!” Simon called to them. The others agreed – Amy and Jessica set off, their motorcycles flying out from the top platforms and landing to the ground, quickly chasing after the buggy. Jack and Andrew were quick to follow them from the bottom platforms, and then Simon rode his Street Striker across the roof and down the front of the Urban Command to catch up with his team-mates.

At the wheel of his buggy, the strange creature heard the roar of engines rumbling ever closer behind him. He didn’t need to turn round: the rear-view mirrors gave him all the warning he needed of the pursuing Rangers. He increased his speed but it didn’t seem to make any difference – the Rangers were still closing in, their new Street Strikers providing all the speed they required.

The chase was well and truly on! The monster sped down the road in the wrong direction, the other civilian cars having to quickly swerve out of the way to avoid collision – because he sure wasn’t about to! The Rangers raced after him, the lasers on their Street Strikers allowing for more pinpoint accuracy as they opened fire, so chances of hitting any civilians were kept to a minimum. However, the same also seemed to be true for the monster: the buggy was too fast, managing to dodge the laser blasts.

“Nippy little devil…” remarked Andrew.

“This isn’t working” Simon called out to the others. “Let’s get up close and personal!”

The Rangers accelerated, increasing their speed to catch up to the buggy. Now was the time to put their new Street Racer equipment to the test. Amy and Andrew were at the front, drawing up on each side of the buggy. The monster turned his bizarre face to look at each of his pursuers. Reaching down to his buggy’s glove compartment, he pulled out a silver pistol weapon. The monster held the wheel with one hand while aiming his pistol with the other. Andrew had to react quick to avoid the lasers that came streaking his way, quickly swerving his Street Striker to the side as the lasers impacted the road where he had been moments before. The monster then aimed to the other side to shoot at Amy, who swiftly ducked her head as one shot whizzed by. Her reactions for her bike were not as fast, however. A few blasts struck the side, and she was forced to reduce her speed as she struggled to remain in control. Simon immediately moved near to check on her. He had to make sure she was alright – there was still some kind of soft spot he held for her, and he couldn’t just leave her behind.

Jessica approached to take Amy’s place. The monster attempted to hit her too, but her reactions were much quicker. In an imitation of Tom Cruise’s classic Mission Impossible II move, she leapt off her seat and crouched down to the side, her hands remaining on the handlebars while the rest of her was shielded behind the still speeding motorcycle. However, Jessica had one advantage that Mr Ethan Hunt didn’t have: a quick click of her heels caused a set of rollerblade wheels to pop out from the bottom of her boots, allowing her feet to glide along the road much more easily. As the lasers ceased, she hoisted herself back onto the bike. However, the monster was now prepared to try a different tactic – swerving sideways and physically slamming into the bikes. Jessica’s heart almost stopped as the buggy suddenly rammed into her, forcing her to pull back. The monster then performed the same manoeuvre on Andrew, who had no better luck in trying to resist.

Simon and Jack now pulled out in front of the others, suggesting a double team effort to each other with a nod of the head. As the speeding vehicles continued their daredevil route, they approached a turn-off. The monster took this turn-off, quickly steering to the side and driving up the slope. Simon and Jack swiftly followed. The other three, however, were not as alert, and continued down the main highway.

“We took a wrong turn” cried Amy.

“Don’t sweat it” replied Andrew, bringing out a pistol and taking aim. The pistol fired a small tube with a long spike on one end and a red light on the other. The tube struck home, impaling itself into the side of the monster’s buggy and the light beginning to flash.

“Homing beacon activated” Andrew told the girls. “We’ll track the buggy and meet up with it further down.”

*

On the higher road, Simon and Jack continued their chase. They were thankful for going on this turn-off: civilian traffic had now virtually disappeared. But they still had the task of stopping this crazed creature. Again they fired their lasers, but the monster was still swerving too fast for them. The monster aimed his pistol behind him, firing shots that the pair had to avoid.

“We’ve got to stop that thing before this all gets out of hand” Jack called over to Simon. “I don’t think we can keep this chase up forever.”

“I know” Simon replied. “Cover me, I’m going in.”

Jack did as requested, firing his lasers to keep the monster busy whilst Simon moved his Street Striker as close to the buggy as he could. The Red Ranger knew that he might only have one chance at this. Taking a deep breath, he leapt off his bike – and straight onto the roof of the buggy. The bike crashed to the side of the road, but appeared undamaged. Jack continued past, looking on as Simon grabbed down and attempted to wrestle with the monster and force him to stop.

The monster struggled to keep one hand on the buggy’s steering wheel while using the other arm to fend off Simon. The monster aimed his pistol and fired off a few shots, with Simon having to quickly move his head to the side to avoid them. Acting quickly, he prised the weapon from the monster’s grip and threw it out. Jack noticed it clatter to the road and immediately headed straight for it. His Street Striker ran over the pistol and crushed it to pieces.

The monster was now swerving his buggy erratically in an attempt to throw off his unwelcome hitchhiker. Simon tried to hold on as hard as he could, the bottom half of his body jerking from one side to the other in time with the buggy’s sharp turns. The buggy screeched round a corner, catching Simon unaware. With a sharp yell, he was forced off the roof, now desperately clinging onto the side.

“Simon!” Jack called out, worried for his friend. He couldn’t see Simon’s face, but he could take a guess as to what the expression must look like. Simon tried to hoist himself back onto the buggy’s roof, but again he slipped back down.

“Simon,” Jack called again, “use the Ultra Grip.”

“Of course” Simon told himself, cursing himself for not thinking about it earlier. “Ultra Grip!”

On command, hundreds of tiny black bristles suddenly burst out from the inside of Simon’s gloves. These now provided him with the firm grip he needed to stay on the speeding buggy. Sticking to the vehicle like Velcro, he made his way back onto the roof. Jack, meanwhile, continued his chase from behind, but the monster decided that he had enough to deal with. Pressing a button on the console, he dropped a small silver brick from the back of the buggy. Jack saw it – but just one second too late. Upon contact, the brick exploded, jolting Jack off his Street Striker and throwing him through the air. He crashed back to the ground, still rolling hard with the momentum.

“Ultra Grip!” he shouted, bringing out the gripping substance from his own gloves and slamming them as hard as he could onto the road. He jerked to an instant halt, but had no time to catch his breath as he saw the buggy getting away – with Simon still riding on the roof. Jack clambered to his feet, knowing he had to act fast…

Bringing out a long rope with a large round magnet attached to the end, he quickly swung it around his head before letting it fly forward. The magnet clamped firmly onto the rear of the buggy. Jack kept his Ultra Grip active to get a firm hold on the rope, and clicked his heels to bring out his boots’ rollerblade wheels. He took a deep breath as he saw the slack of the rope rapidly begin to tighten.

“I’m going to regret doing this…” he sighed – then shot off, practically being towed by the buggy. On the roof, Simon glanced behind him to see his team-mate following using his magnet rope. He found himself amused, but had to stay on the task at hand, still trying to grapple with the monster.

*

On the main highway, Jessica glanced down at a computer screen on her Street Striker:

“Guys, I think we’re getting near the Hydra’s Tooth that’s down here” she reported to them. “We have to get to it before the monster does.”

“Could be a close call” Amy called back. “According to the homing beacon, he’s on his way back here now!”

Sure enough, the buggy suddenly emerged from a side road and zoomed back in front of them. Amy let out a surprised gasp when she noticed Simon holding on to the roof. She could tell they had been busy.

“Where’s Jack?” Andrew asked himself.

He soon got his answer. A very shocked Andrew witnessed Jack gripping onto the magnet rope behind. As the buggy turned back onto the highway, Jack was also angling round – straight towards Andrew.

“Heads up!” was all Jack could shout. Andrew worked as fast as he could to move his Street Striker into a wheelie. Jack crouched down as low as possible, sliding underneath the bike, his helmet missing the front wheel by mere millimetres. As Jack passed to the other side, Andrew’s Street Striker lowered to both wheels again.

“Sorry dude,” Jack apologised, “I’ve got limited steering here!”

On the buggy, Simon had had enough. Reaching down to his belt, he pulled off his round belt buckle – also a small disc device – and slapped it onto the side of the buggy, tapping the middle which lit up in red. He then dived off the roof, preparing his Ultra Grip gloves to stop himself.

“Jack, he called out in midair, “cut loose!”

Jack let go of the rope, allowing the buggy to speed ahead – seconds before the explosive charge sent it sky high.

The Rangers regrouped at the side of the highway as they watched the ablaze buggy crash back down. They all gasped to regain their breath, taking in the sight.

“Long day…” wheezed Jessica.

“…and it’s not over just yet!” called a voice. The Rangers turned their heads to see The Technicals walking towards the wreckage of the buggy. Lizzax had sent them down to do their job, which they now did:

“One scream to bring back the deceased…”

“…One scream to make his size increase!”

The Technicals’ sonic scream surrounded the wreckage, resurrecting the now giant monster in a flash of light.

“Just going through the motions” Simon sighed wearily. “Nitro Carrier, online!”

The response was immediate. The Nitro Carrier, the new carrier Zord for the Street Racer Op-File, rumbled onto the scene – effectively an enormous black semi-truck Zord, with laser cannons mounted on the bonnet that automatically opened fire on the monster.

“Sweet!” Andrew exclaimed.

“Let’s go!” announced Simon, leaping up with the others. Moments later, the rear door of the Nitro Carrier’s door opened up, lowering to form a ramp for the Rangers’ new Zords to emerge:

“Battle Biker 5, power up!” called Amy.
“Battle Biker 4, power up!” ordered Jessica.
“Battle Biker 3, power up!” announced Jack.
“Battle Biker 2, power up!” cried Andrew.
“Battle Biker 1, power up!” finished Simon.

Multiple roars of engines burst into life as the Battle Bikers made their way down the ramp: five warrior-class Zords, all a shimmering silver with stripes in the respective Ranger colours going down the shoulders. The distinguishing feature, however, was that each machine rode astride its own Zord-sized motorcycle.

The monster’s stationary face, wide-eyed and open-jawed, now seemed fitting as he took in the sight of the Battle Bikers racing towards him. His buggy was gone, and now he had to fend for himself. The Battle Bikers raced fast, Jessica and Amy’s Battle Bikers 4 and 5 increasing speed and leaping over the monster’s head to make him stumble back in surprise. Andrew and Jack’s Battle Bikers 2 and 3 sped by each side, the robotic riders extending a leg to the side to deliver a joint kick each. Simon’s Battle Biker 1 headed straight for the monster, who quickly rolled to the side to avoid being hit.

“Oh no you don’t…” said Simon, steering round. The Battle Biker swerved its motorcycle a full 180 degrees and made another run. This time, the Battle Biker leapt off its bike and slammed into the monster with a flying kick. The monster tried to fight back, but the streamlined Battle Biker was too agile, slamming its fists into the chest, followed by another kick.

The monster stumbled back as the Battle Bikers regrouped. At the controls, the Rangers prepared to take it up a notch. Unfortunately, General Bennet had informed them that the Battle Bikers were unable to combine and form a Megazord. However, the Rangers still had a trick up their sleeves.

“Alright,” Simon instructed to the others, “Battle Biker, Mega Mode – now!”

The Battle Bikers leapt into the air, their motorcycles automatically flying up after them. Each Battle Biker combined with its cycle, the various pieces of the vehicle attaching around the body of the Zord. The Zords descended back down to the ground, now sporting their cycles as a form of armour. The windshields jutted out above their heads, the curved handlebars were held like horn-style weapons in the right hands, and the front wheels replaced the left hand to create circular saw objects.

The Mega Mode Battle Bikers advanced together on the monster, letting out an onslaught of forceful punches and kicks into their opponent. Jack’s Battle Biker 3 swiped its Handlebar Horns across the chest, before Simon’s Battle Biker 1 slammed a rapidly spinning Wheel Saw forward. The monster flew back from the force, ready for the Rangers to deliver the final blow. The windshields lowered in front of the Battle Bikers’ faces, bringing up an electronic targeting display to lock onto the monster’s weakest spot.

“Energised Tyre Strike, fire!” the Rangers declared together. Thrusting their left arms forward, the five spinning tyres created a shower of flying energy discs that bombarded the exact same spot on the monster.

With no hope to survive, he collapsed to the ground, and exploded for the final time.

While the Rangers’ cheered in their cockpits, a flash of light on the ground heralded Blaze’s arrival. The general made his way past the buggy wreckage, over to a certain spot at the side of the road. Taking his sword, he dug down into the bank, shifting the dirt to the side.

“Guys, down there” Andrew alerted the others, “It’s Blaze.”

“Quick, let’s move” Simon told them before leaping down to the ground, the others following close behind.

“Blaze,” Simon called out, “hold it right there!”

“Oh I am holding it, Rangers. I am holding it…”

Blaze let out a chuckle as he stood back up – a Hydra’s Tooth resting in his hand.

“Oh no, he’s got the Tooth” cried Jessica.

“That’s right” sneered Blaze. “You managed to stop our monster, but not before he got close enough to the Tooth for us to pinpoint its exact location. This one is going straight into Lord Lizzax’s possession.”

“I’m giving you one chance to hand it over” Simon threatened him.

“Oh please…”

Blaze merely teleported away, taking the Tooth with him.

*

On board his ship, Lizzax’s soft chuckles echoed around the bridge room. He had won a battle. Two times before, the meddlesome Ultrastar Rangers had stolen the Hydra’s Teeth that he had waited so long to find. But now, on this third occasion, a Tooth finally belonged to him.

He turned around to see Blaze teleport into the room. Immediately the general stepped forward, crouching down on one knee and presenting the crystal to his master:

“For you, Lord Lizzax.”

Lizzax took a few moments to take in the sight of the Tooth. This one was coloured a bright emerald green, shimmering in its natural ethereal nature. As he reached a hand towards it, he could already feel its power radiating from its core. A tangible energy seemingly flowing from the crystal, through the air, and into the receptive palm of the evil tyrant.

After allowing himself to savour the moment, Lizzax finally closed his claw around the Hydra’s Tooth, taking it from his general’s grasp. Blaze returned to his feet, an evil smirk spreading across his lips as he witnessed his master’s elation – evidently shown through the solid yellow colour of his eyes.

“I trust you are pleased, my Lord?” Blaze asked him.

“Very much so” Lizzax confirmed. He gestured to the crystal in his grip: “This is what it’s all about, Blaze. This is what my entire purpose revolves around. These crystals, these jewels, these… masterpieces.”

“Masterpieces, you say?” Screech chimed in from the side.

“Indeed. Just look at it – a true work of art! For thousands of years the Hydra’s Teeth have been hidden on Earth, buried beneath the ruins of countless civilisations from ages past. Many have forgotten of their existence, as they become hidden from even the most observant of eyes. But I am one who can truly appreciate their potential, their abilities, their purpose. I will remind those who have forgotten – I will facilitate a worthy display for this power.”

“I am pleased that you have gained your first Hydra’s Tooth, my Lord” Blaze told him. “However, one alone will not be of much use to you.”

“You are correct, Blaze” replied Lizzax. “Thank you for keeping me realistically minded. I must not allow myself to get carried away, but I am now on my way to completing my ultimate weapon. However, let us continue with our mission: I will require many more Hydra’s Teeth – and you had better bring them to me!”

*

At the Ultrastar HQ, the Rangers reported to Steven’s office for a debriefing, and had just finished filling him in.

“We’re sorry General” Simon apologised. “We tried, but we’re sorry we didn’t get this Tooth.”

“That’s alright” Steven assured the team. “What’s important here is the lesson you’ve now hopefully learned. Not every mission you carry out will be a success. Some you’ll win, others you’ll lose. But the most you can ever do is try your best – which I know you did. Just don’t try to let this one setback get you down too much. We may have gained nothing, but we haven’t lost anything either.”

“But Lizzax has gained something” Jessica reminded him. “He has a Tooth now.”

“Perhaps, but it’s just one Tooth at the moment – and we have two! So far, we’re still winning this game. You did a good job Rangers, be certain of that.”

“I guess” said Andrew. “I think we handled the new Street Racer gear pretty well.”

“That you did,” Steven agreed, “which reminds me: I’ve been meaning to talk to you about Katrina. Have any of you noticed a change in her general behaviour lately?”

“What sort of change sir?” asked Jack.

“Maybe if she seemed a little depressed, or irritable. Just not her usual upbeat self.”

“Not that I’ve noticed” Amy told him. “Why do you ask sir?”

“I’m not usually one to stick my nose in with things like this, but I feel I must do so in the interest of team stability – and believe me, I know what an unstable Ranger team is like!” Steven made eye contact with the team: “Rangers, Katrina’s been feeling rather down lately. She thinks you don’t appreciate her.”

“What? Is she serious?” Jack exclaimed. “What would give her that idea?”

“Well… you, to be perfectly honest! I’m sure you all have at least some idea of how much time and effort she’s been putting into supplying you with all of your new equipment. And yet, at least according to her, none of you have ever given her so much as a thank you.”

The Rangers exchanged a few sheepish glances. Of course they could not recall a 100 percent accurate memory of the scenarios in question, but they had to admit it to themselves – not one of them could recollect thanking Katrina.

“I’m not telling you off exactly,” Steven continued, “but I think it would a wise idea if you tried to make some amends. I got the impression that she was even wondering if her skills were worth anything to Ultrastar.”

“You’re right sir,” Simon told him, “we’ll find her right now. We have to put this right.”

“Good. Alright, dismissed.”

*

The Rangers found Katrina sitting in the lounge area. They quickly sat down around her. After a few seconds, Katrina looked up and noticed them all looking at her.

“What?” she asked.

“We owe you two things” began Amy. “One: a lot of appreciation for everything you’ve done for us.”

“And two:” Jack continued, “a huge apology for leaving it this long!”

“You guys talked to General Bennet, huh?” Katrina realised.

“He had a word with us, yeah” Jessica admitted. “And you’re right: I can’t ever remember thanking you for all your help, which is just not something I usually do. We’re all so sorry Katrina.”

“It’s not like I hate you guys or anything” Katrina assured them. “It’s just that I guess I felt a little depressed that you always enjoyed your gear, but overlooked the person who gave it to you.”

“We know,” replied Andrew, “and we do appreciate all the mega-cool weapons and Zords, but we also appreciate the one who’s always burning the midnight oil to get them there. We want you to understand something, Katrina: we’re not apologising just because the General suggested we do, we’re apologising because we want to and we really mean it. We were being really insensitive, and there’s no excuse for that. Can you forgive us?”

Katrina cracked a smile: “Yeah, yeah I can. And I guess I can understand if you were caught up in all the new gear – it is amazing, after all!”

Amy chuckled: “It’s got to be if you made it. You’re a legend!”

Simon smiled, then realised he was the only one who hadn’t said a word since they sat down. Feeling he should, he reached out a hand and placed it on Katrina’s shoulder to attract her attention. The young technician turned towards the Red Ranger, who made sincere eye contact with her as he said the most appropriate thing he could think of:

“Katrina… thank you.”

Katrina filled with pride, finally receiving the validation she had so desperately needed to hear. A reply entered her mind – one that could not have been more ironical, but that’s what amused her. She returned the Rangers’ smiles:

“Don’t mention it!”

bushwacka666

09-02-2005, 06:41 AM

Simon once more finds himself under personal attack from Blaze. But that's not all - Nikita makes a surprising discovery, and her attempt to help Simon also puts her at the mercy of the human-hating general.

Is this the end for both Simon and Nikita?

bushwacka666

09-02-2005, 06:58 AM

- Street Racer info added to "Op Files" section.

- Street Racer info added to "Zords" section.

- Renewed YouSendIt link for Theme in "Media" section.

- New song up in "Media" section, The Will Inside Your Heart.

Jacen

09-02-2005, 07:19 AM

http://www.xares.net/bw/PRSO%20-%20The%20Will%20Inside%20Your%20Heart.mp3

File uploaded for ya Bush.

I haven't read the chaptor yet, so I'll go back and do that now.

Zord_Crazy

09-02-2005, 06:38 PM

As always, BW, you never fail to impress! Loving the new Op File Katrina came up with. The Battle Bikers (and their Mega Modes) reminded me of the OmegaMax MegaZord on SPD. Do you wish the PB Oreos or the oatmeal raisin cookies??

bushwacka666

09-03-2005, 04:40 AM

Jacen: once again, thanks for hosting the song. My shite singing must be infecting your webspace with a virus as we speak, but hey! :D

Zord_Crazy: glad you like Street Racer. And yes the similarity to SPD is obvious - but I'm telling you, I came up with Zords riding motorcycles first dammit! :P Once again, PR/Sentai steals my ideas! lol. Oooh and oatmeal raisin cookies please! *claps like a seal*

Anyways: I'm looking forward to posting the next chapter. Sure I've posted the promo for it, but at the moment only I know the full extent of what's coming! BWAHAHA!! Just please stick with me guys: I'm on a roll here! ;)

Jacen

09-03-2005, 05:23 AM

Jacen: once again, thanks for hosting the song. My shite singing must be infecting your webspace with a virus as we speak, but hey! :D
Well... :P It's not that bad, but it could be clearer.... Then again, it's better then my singing :P

EDIT: I just went back and read the chaptor. Someone's been watching too much NInja Storm :P *points to urban command*

GeddonZord

09-06-2005, 12:06 PM

Its time for me to get cracking and read your work BW. Fair is fair.

bushwacka666

09-17-2005, 07:35 AM

As the new morning arrived in Water Rose City, the Fire-Wire Internet Café began to fill up with customers, many of them being its usual clientele. The Rangers were among them, hanging out by the bar along with Nikita. They decided to order themselves some early milkshakes while they waited.

“So,” Nikita began after sipping on her shake, “who are we waiting for?”

“Her name’s Katrina, she’s a friend of ours” Jack replied. “She doesn’t get out much, to be honest, so we figured we’d treat her to a day out.”

“She said she’d meet up with us here,” Amy added, “then we’ll find something to do.”

“Cool, can’t wait to meet her. By the way, thanks for letting me tag along today.”

“Of course” said Jessica. “But you make it sound like it’s a special occasion or something. We’re friends, remember? Hanging out together is what we do.”

“Yeah I realise that,” replied Nikita with a laugh, “but what I meant is that we don’t actually hang out that often – you guys have a tendency to get up and leave all of a sudden.”

The Rangers exchanged a few glances with each other, knowing that Nikita had a point. Whenever they were with her, more often than not they would be called away on a mission, and of course they could not tell her what was going on.

“Uh, yeah…” Simon started slowly. “I guess we do have the worst timing in the world. There’s honestly not a lot we can do about it but we wish we didn’t have to keep bailing.” He turned towards Nikita: “I hope you don’t think we’re trying to avoid you or anything like that.”

“Oh no, not at all. If it’s really important then of course I understand. Don’t sweat it.”

The Rangers seemed content with that assurance and returned to their shakes. Nikita, however, had failed to convince herself. Despite her response only moments before, she secretly had to admit that it did in fact bother her. After a few experiences of these guys suddenly deserting her somewhere without warning, she had begun to feel as if maybe they didn’t really like her, and were trying to ditch her.

Luckily, she had since stopped allowing herself to become so paranoid. Nikita liked to think that she was a very good judge of character – family and friends had told her that often enough. She was certain that these five really could be good friends to her. Nevertheless, she may be trusting, but she wasn’t blind: they were definitely keeping something from her. There was some big secret that the five of them shared, and they weren’t sharing it with her! But what was it? Why did they have to keep running off like this? It was still a bother when they left, but the elusive reason why unsettled her even more.

*

“We finally have one Hydra’s Tooth in our possession,” stated Screech, “but now we must work towards obtaining a second.”

“That is correct” Lizzax told them. “I trust that is what you are doing?”

“We’ve got the scanners running now, my Lord” Squawk assured his master. “When they pick up another Tooth, we’ll be ready. But it may be a while before we find one.”

“In the meantime,” added Blaze, “we must keep the Rangers busy. They cannot be allowed to track down more Hydra’s Teeth before us. We must attack.”

Lizzax chuckled softly: “So simply put, Blaze, and yet so accurate. Indeed, attack we must. And I’m glad you were the one to say it, because you are the one who will carry it out.”

Blaze flashed a smirk – this was why he loved this job. The opportunity to go on the rampage, striking fear into the hearts of these worthless pathetic humans that plagued the streets of this miserable planet. He took great enjoyment in seeing the despair in their eyes as, in the middle of their uncontrollable tears, they begged him for mercy. This entertained him. Mercy is something he had never shown before, and he had no intention of ever doing so. To think that these humans were even worth sparing…

Blaze just smiled amusingly again.

“Do you have any special instructions for me, my Lord?” enquired the general.

“General mayhem is the order of the day” Lizzax replied. “However, if you should feel the desire to torment the Red Ranger in particular, then by all means feel free to do so.”

Blaze grinned: “I was hoping you’d say that.”

*

Back in the city, Katrina walked through the streets on her way to Fire-Wire. Finally she was out in the open air, and she felt a little strange because of it. It was simply a part of life that she had not experienced much of lately, actually taking some time off for a change. Even the clothes she wore made her extremely conscious about it: her usual lab gear hanging up back at the base, she had dressed herself in a simple black sweatshirt and matching trousers. She had to admit that they felt comfortable. More comfortable than anything else she had grown used to since working at Ultrastar.

She felt strange, and yet excited at the same time. To actually act as just another normal 17 year old for once, to hang out with the other Rangers as a friend… she had been looking forward to this day for a while! Unfortunately, she realised that peace and quiet would not come so easy, as an electronic beeping tone caused her to stop in her tracks.

Stepping up beside a wall and then taking a cautious glance around, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small walkie-talkie device, raising it up to her lips and pressing a button:

“Go for Katrina.”

“Katrina, this is General Bennet” came Steven’s reply through the communicator. “Are you on you way to meet the Rangers?”

“Yes sir.”

“Good, because I need you to call them in. We have a situation. Blaze has been detected lurking around the city.”

“You’re kidding!” Katrina exclaimed with a sigh. “Does that guy have great timing or what!”

“I know you were looking forward to a day off, and I’m sorry you have to cut it short, but we both know what has to be done” Steven told her. “Tell the Rangers to morph over to the industrial complex on the south side, then report back to HQ to keep an eye on them.”

“Yes sir, right away.”

Disappointment washed over Katrina as she slipped the communicator back into her pocket, but the General had been right – she had a job to do. She set off again, quickening her pace and reaching Fire-Wire within a couple of minutes. She went in and immediately went over to the Rangers at the bar.

“Hey Katrina,” Amy greeted her cheerfully, “glad you could make it. We’d like you to meet our friend Nikita.”

“Hi Katrina, it’s great to meet you” said Nikita.

“You too,” Katrina replied, shaking hands with the girl, “and I’m real sorry that I won’t be able to hang out with you today.”

“What are you talking about?” Jack asked her.

“I’m afraid we’ll all have to reschedule our day out. I just got a call… something’s come up.”

The Rangers understood the message, and immediately stood up to leave. Nikita just gave a look of disbelief:

“You guys are kidding, right?”

“We’re really sorry Nikita,” Katrina apologised, “but there’s something important that we have to take care of, and it can’t wait.”

“May I ask what?”

“Sorry, but we can’t exactly say” Andrew told her. “Just know that we wish we didn’t have to clear out like this, but we don’t exactly have a choice.”

The Rangers hastily said goodbye and left, feeling bad about it but not able to discuss the matter any further. Nikita was left sitting by herself once again, simply unable to accept it this time. She shot a curious glance after the departing group – just what were they up to?

“What’s the situation?” Simon asked Katrina as he and the others followed her outside.

“Blaze. He’s been sighted down at the industrial complex. Needless to say, he’s probably up to no good. You’d better get over there, I’ll get back to the HQ.”

Katrina went one way. The Rangers went the other, stepping around the corner to somewhere out of sight. There they brought up their Morphers and placed their fingers onto the scanners:

“Ultra-Op, Engage!”

As the Rangers morphed and teleported off, Nikita’s jaw dropped in shock as she peered out from around the corner. She had decided to sneakily follow her friends and find out what they were up to. She hadn’t known what she would discover, although a few possible thoughts had entered her mind – but this was something she could never have prepared herself for! Did she really just see what she thought she saw?

*

At the industrial complex of the city, Blaze roamed around, his sword errantly hacking into the building and other obstructions that he came into contact with, his burning hand sending streams of fire through the air, civilians trying to evacuate the scene as fast as they could. But the general’s rampage was interrupted when the Rangers arrived on the scene.

“Ok Blaze, that’s as far as you go” Jack warned him.

“Why Rangers, I’m so glad you’re finally here” Blaze greeted. “I’ve been expecting you.”

“What are you up to this time Blaze?” Simon demanded to know.

“Nothing special, I assure you. Just generally having fun. However, it’s so predictable: all I have to do is show up somewhere unexpected, and you come running after me to find out what’s going on. It is no longer a challenge to draw out the enemy.”

“Can it pal, we’ve had enough” growled Jessica. “You’re going down!”

Blaze just chortled, amused by his opponents’ attitude, and charged in. The Rangers retaliated, summoning their Ultra Weapons and raising their defences. Andrew quickly brought up his Ultra Sword to block Blaze’s own weapon, the two metal blades colliding noisily with each other. Jack was also there with the Ultra Staff, but Blaze was on full alert as he fended off both of their attacks simultaneously. He then surprised them both by a sudden leap and backwards somersault in the air, descending again with both feet slamming into their chests and forcing them down.

Blaze landed on his back but swiftly flipped back onto his feet. Amy and Jessica took this as their queue to open fire with their Ultra Weapons. Several laser streams blasted Blaze and knocking him back. He remained largely unharmed though, and retaliated by thrusting his arm forward and sending a stream of flame towards the girls. Their reactions were quick, leaping forward over the fire. Blaze just snickered, however, and pointed a finger towards the ground. More flames suddenly burst up from the spot – the exact same spot where Amy and Jessica landed.

Blaze now turned his attention to Simon. The Red Ranger stood opposite him, his Ultra Gloves raised in a boxing-like fashion. Blaze aimed his sword towards him in a threatening manner:

“And once again we face each other, Red Ranger. We’re forming quite a working relationship, you and I.”

“I don’t want any kind of association with you!” Simon shot back. “Not after all you’ve done.”

“I assume you refer to your dear departed friend Kyle. It was his own fault that he died, you know.”

“Somehow I don’t think he was the one who shoved the sword through his own back…”

“No that was me, and I’m quite proud to admit it! But Kyle was the one who couldn’t react fast enough to stop me. He had his powers and yet he had not yet morphed. Therefore, he was responsible for what happened to him.”

Simon remained silent – he didn’t believe it. He wouldn’t believe it! Yet he couldn’t help but grow infuriated by Blaze’s comments. He had no right to dishonour Kyle in this way.

“And so now here we have his replacement,” Blaze continued his taunting, “the one who was only a mere afterthought after Ultrastar’s first choice for the Red Ranger position was killed. Do you really think you can do as good a job as your friend would have if he were still alive?”

“Maybe Kyle would’ve made a better Ranger than me,” Simon admitted, “but the fact is that I’m here now. I’ll do the best I can – and I’m not going to let him down!”

Simon charged, letting out a cry of rage as he did so. Blaze just sighed and shook his head, part of him unable to belief that these humans could still allow their anger to dictate their actions. As Simon approached, Blaze simply stepped to the side and swiped his sword across. Caught off guard, Simon let out a sharp yell as the sparks flew from his chest. He staggered forward, barely managing to keep his footing. Blaze used his opponent’s weakened state to his advantage, quickly turning around and delivering another strike to the back. Simon cried out again from the pain, now collapsing to the ground.

“If that was your best,” Blaze told him, towering above, “then I would hate to see your worst. Actually, on second thoughts, maybe I would enjoy watching it! But all in good time…”

Blaze reached down and grabbed the weakened Simon by the arm, hauling him up. The other four Rangers regrouped to face Blaze again.

“Let him go Blaze,” shouted Jack, “I mean it!”

“I think not, Rangers” Blaze retorted. “Your red friend here needs some education, and I have decided to take on the enormous responsibility of being his teacher. You four can go and wallow in your own defeat, while the Red Ranger and I get to know each other some more…”

An angered Jack had heard enough! He began to charge, his Ultra Staff aimed forward as if he was about to joust with it. Blaze, on the other hand, just teleported away – taking Simon with him. Jack’s staff drove only into air where they had stood just seconds before.

“I don’t believe it, he got away!” Amy cried.

“Ultrastar come in, this is Jessica” the Yellow Ranger called into her Morpher. “Blaze has taken Simon. What do we do?”

“Guys this is Katrina” came the reply. “We’re aware of what happened, and we’re already running a search. Don’t worry, I’ll find where Blaze took him.”

“But what do we do?” Jack repeated Jessica’s question.

“Go back to the city and wait” Katrina told them. “We’ll contact you when we find Simon.”

“Are you kidding me?” Amy exclaimed. “We can’t just sit around and do nothing while he’s out there somewhere!”

“Sorry guys. I know how you feel but that’s the General’s orders. And I think he’s got a point – there’s nothing more you can do until we find him. Trust me, when we do, you guys will be the first to know.”

Katrina closed the communication there, leaving the Rangers distressed and depressed at the same time.

“We’re not really just going to sit around and do nothing, are we?” Andrew asked the others.

Jack shrugged his shoulders: “General’s orders.”

*

Reluctantly, the Rangers returned to the city. Sitting in the park, they sipped on the sodas they had bought, but found themselves unable to take their minds off of their current predicament. Somewhere, Simon was being held captive by Blaze (and not for the first time either, technically speaking.) And here the others were, ordered to carry on living their “normal” lives until he could be found.

“I hope he’s alright” sighed Jack. He couldn’t deny how worried he was: out of all the other Rangers, Jack considered Simon to be his best friend. If Blaze did anything, Jack would make sure he’d regret it!

“I’m sure he’s fine…” tried Jessica, although she didn’t sound too convincing.

“Hey guys” a voice suddenly called behind the group. They turned around, noticing Nikita walking up to them.

“Oh hey Nik” Amy tried to act cheerful as she greeted their friend. She scooted up the bench to make room for her to sit down, but Nikita shook her head to deny the invitation:

“No that’s alright. I just wanted to talk to you guys about something.”

“Listen Nikita,” Andrew began, “we’re really sorry that we ditched you earlier, but…”

“No that’s not it. Actually, I know why you kept running off like that.”

Nikita took a deep breath, figuring she may as well just do this:

“Guys… I know you’re the Power Rangers.”

Their hearts almost stopped, an irresistible silence filling the air for a few seconds. They shot each other a few nervous glances, unsure of what to make of Nikita’s announcement. Finally, Jessica began to chuckle slowly:

“Yeah right, good one Nik. Like we could ever be Power Rangers.”

Nikita wasn’t buying it: “Stop trying to laugh it off Jess. I followed you guys, alright? I saw you sneak around the corner and I took a look, and I saw you… transform or whatever it is you guys do. So don’t try to deny it, because I actually saw you turn into the Rangers.”

The Rangers fell silent again, still unsure of what to say or do. Had Nikita really seen them morph? Or was she just making up a story for some reason, which by sheer coincidence just happened to be the truth?

“You guys want more proof?” Nikita continued. “Fine: those things on your wrists are what you use to transform. You called out… what was it?… “Ultra-Op, Engage” or something like that. Then your suits appeared – Andrew, you’re Blue. Amy is Pink, Jessica is Yellow, Jack is Green and Simon is Red. Then you teleported off to wherever, leaving me with my jaw hanging open! So after hearing that, do you still want to say I was wrong?”

“Oh my god,” Amy finally sighed, “you did see us.”

“Alright, so now you know what the important thing is that we have to do,” added Andrew, “but you have to realise that we can’t exactly choose when we have to go into action. Please Nikita, you can’t tell anyone. If anybody else found out…”

“Look, I understand now why you guys kept running off, and I understand why you kept it from me” Nikita told them. “And don’t worry, I promise that your secret’s safe with me. I won’t tell a living soul – in fact, I want to help.”

“What do you mean you want to help?” asked Jessica.

“I mean I want to be a Power Ranger, like you guys. Make me part of the team, and I can join you.”

Jack stood up to face her: “Nik, it doesn’t work like that. People don’t just become Rangers because they want to, nor do their friends being Rangers automatically make them one too. Sorry, but in all honesty I don’t think you could handle it.”

“Why would you say that?”

“Look, Jack’s got a point” Andrew joined in. “For a start, you’ve admitted to us that you suck at martial arts – to use your exact words. You seriously want to be a Ranger when you know that they can all do it?”

Nikita shrugs her shoulders: “I can learn. You guys can teach me.”

“That was only one example” Amy explained her. “Nikita, we appreciate the offer, but it’s a really dangerous job, and none of us want to drag you into it. We don’t want you getting hurt.”

“Besides,” added Jessica, “something tells me our boss wouldn’t be too happy to find out that we didn’t notice someone spying on us while we morphed!”

“Please guys,” Nikita pleaded, “I’ve been looking for some excitement for a change ever since I moved here. This is my chance – let me help you guys.”

Jack shook his head: “Being a Ranger isn’t about looking for excitement. Nikita, I’m really sorry, but it’s too dangerous for you. You’re not getting involved.”

Nikita looked at Jack – she could tell by his expression that he meant business. Glancing down at the others on the bench, she realised they agreed with his decision. Knowing that she couldn’t change their minds, she simply walked off in a temper.

“Ouch!” Jessica exclaimed. She looked at Jack: “That was kind of harsh.”

“Hey look, we made the right decision.”

“We agree with you,” Andrew assured him, “but still, perhaps we could’ve been a little more sympathetic.”

“Maybe we can make it up to her later, but right now we can’t afford to worry about it. We’ve got bigger problems.”

*

Disappointed, Nikita went for a walk along the beach. She thought back to how abrupt the Rangers had been with her. Personally, she couldn’t see the problem: all she wanted to do was be of some use to her friends. Now that she had discovered their secret, why shouldn’t she help them do their job? But they hadn’t even given her a chance to plead her case, as it were. If she was a Ranger as well, at least she could be going with them when they had a job to do, instead of being left alone and deserted.

A sudden pained shout interrupted her train of thought. Pinpointing the source of the sound as coming from around the corner of the cliff wall, Nikita moved quickly but quietly over to the wall to investigate. As another yell rang through the air, she peeked her head around the corner. What she saw made her gasp out in surprise:

The morphed Red Ultrastar Ranger (Simon, she reminded herself) was tied to a wooden post by some sort of glowing rope. Before him stood a tall orange-coloured figure wearing a suit that bore a fire design. The figure used his sword to deliver yet another slash to the chest of the helpless Simon, who cried out again as the blade struck. He had already tried to struggle free, but the rope had some kind of magical hold on him and just wouldn’t loosen. Now the continuous strikes from Blaze were making him increasingly weaker by the minute, and he could do nothing about it.

“Simon…” Nikita whispered, realising he was in trouble. She had noticed that he hadn’t been with the other Rangers when she spoke to them, but she hadn’t thought much of it. It had never crossed her mind that he was in danger. She couldn’t just stand here and do nothing – she had to try and help him.

“And so, here you are again, Red Ranger” Blaze now taunted Simon. “Too weak to resist, completely at my mercy – and we’ve been in a very similar situation before, haven’t we?”

Blaze paused as if to await a response, but Simon could not give one. All he could manage was a soft groggy groan.

“Surely by now you have learned your lesson?” Blaze continued. “Don’t even pretend that you have what it takes to beat me!”

Blaze struck Simon again with force, then let out a satisfied chuckle as he walked away. With the alien’s back towards them, Nikita decided that this was her chance, but she had to act fast. She promptly moved out from around the corner and crept over to the restrained Simon, stepping behind and attempting to undo the rope. Unfortunately it wasn’t budging – whatever kind of magic rope this was, it was holding fast. Simon, meanwhile was still too weak to respond, only just registering somebody coming to his aid but not realising who it was.

Nikita began to panic, knowing this was taking too long. She pulled harder at the rope, trying as best as she could to untie Simon, but to no avail.

“Excuse me young lady, what do you think you’re doing?”

Nikita turned around – coming face to face with the alien creature who stood mere inches away. She gulped nervously, realising she was in big trouble now! Blaze reached down and hauled up off her feet with one strong arm, before throwing her roughly to the side. She landed hard on the sand, allowing a few seconds for the pain to ease, then slowly got back to her feet.

“Let my friend go, Hot Head!” she shouted out at Simon’s tormentor.

“My name is Blaze,” replied the general, facing the human, “and this so-called friend of yours is a weak, incompetent fool. An insignificant pest in the Ranger legacy who will soon become nothing more than a simple and easily forgettable memory.”

“You’re really cruel, you know that?”

“Oh do you really think so? Why thank you very much. Humans are nothing to me, you little brat! I make it my personal mission to annihilate them all.” Blaze pointed at Simon: “That means him, it means the other Rangers, it means everybody else on this miserable planet – and it also means you…”

Nikita screamed in fear as Blaze closed in on her. A solid kick to the young girl’s stomach caused her to double over in pain. He then violently shoved her into the rock wall behind her, and she collided hard before collapsing to the ground again.

“Excuse me, Mr Blaze?” called a sudden voice. Blaze whirled around to see the other four Rangers standing a few feet away.

“Rangers!” he roared. “How did you find me?”

“Scanning systems, genius!” Jessica shot back. “Aren’t computers wonderful?”

“And now, if you don’t mind,” announced Andrew, wielding his Ultra Sword and severing the magic rope with ease, “we’re taking our friend and getting out of here.”

Amy and Jessica supported the still groggy Simon, while the others stood guard against the evil general.

“Next time Blaze,” Jack warned him, “you’ll pay for this. See you around.”

The Rangers teleported off, leaving Blaze to snarl in anger at his captive being rescued from right before his very eyes.

“Those Rangers are infuriating!” he growled. “Next time they shall not be so fortunate. They will all suffer my wrath! Luckily, however, I still do have a prisoner…”

Blaze turned back to where Nikita still lay on the sand. He chuckled evilly as he walked towards her again. The Rangers may have rescued their red leader, but they had not spotted their civilian friend in danger at his mercy. Blaze hauled Nikita up again, forcing her to look at him:

“The Red Ranger has escaped, girl, but your friends did not see you. This time there shall be nobody to save you. If I cannot destroy the Rangers today, then I shall have to make do with you.”

“No…” Nikita stammered weakly. “Please don’t.”

Blaze just chuckled again, and literally threw her back. Nikita crashed down once more. She was no match for Blaze, and they both knew it. Blaze aimed his sword forward and fired off several laser streaks that impacted the ground around the helpless human, the resulting blast hurtling her through the air again like a rag doll.

Now going in for the final blow, Blaze grabbed her again, bringing his sword to her neck…

Nikita was a petrified wreck: the Rangers had told her all this was dangerous, but she hadn’t expected this. Now here she was, forced to her knees by Blaze who was about to kill her without hesitation. She was unable to keep herself from crying intensely, and her tears flowed down her cheeks like rain. Her throat was already dry from a mixture of her wailing and some sand entering her mouth after all the crash landings. Her entire body physically began to tremble as the blade edged ever closer to her throat.

Blaze chortled in satisfaction as he took in the human girl’s reaction. This is why he loved it, to hear the fear in their whimpers, to see the tears in their eyes and the expression on their faces when they knew that their life was about to end. Nikita’s eyes were screwed up tight, although they did nothing to block the teary flow. Then all of a sudden, for a reason not even she understood, she opened her eyes and looked up at her attacker…

Blaze stopped. He took another good look at Nikita’s frightened face, now seeing the raw terror in her wide and wet eyes. As he continued to examine her expression, Blaze could almost swear he felt something inside him move. He couldn’t quite understand why, but he now suddenly felt like this was one human he shouldn’t slay. This time – for the first time in his entire life – the victim’s fear was stirring up some sort of emotion that he had never felt before. But what was it? Guilt? Sadness?

Compassion?

Blaze gazed directly down into Nikita’s eyes, and whispered:

“Go…”

Nikita was sure she hadn’t heard that correctly: “Wha…what…?”

“I said go!” Blaze snapped. “Get out of here – NOW!”

Nikita was bewildered, but remained composed enough to know she had to take this chance. She quickly scrambled to her feet and ran off as fast as her trembling legs would take her, not even looking back for a moment.

*

In the medical bay of the Ultrastar HQ, Simon rested after his latest ordeal. He had regained much of his strength, but still felt a little weak.

“You know,” he said with a sigh, “I get the strangest feeling that I’ve been here before!”

“Don’t worry man, you’re ok now” Jack told him. “That Blaze is one mean dude, but he’ll get what he deserves one day – I promise you that.”

“General,” Simon spoke as he turned to face Steven, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I keep letting Blaze get the better of me like this.”

“You’ve got nothing to apologise for, Simon” Steven assured him. “I know you’ve got what it takes. It’ll just take a little time for it to shine through, that’s all.”

Simon nodded, remained quiet for a few moments, and then spoke again:

“Was there someone else at the beach besides us and Blaze?”

“No” Amy replied. “The beach was deserted. I guess Blaze scared everyone off.”

“Are you sure? I just have the strangest feeling that I saw someone else there, trying to undo that rope.”

Steven glanced at Katrina, who shook her head:

“Our surveillance equipment didn’t spot anyone else there” she reported.

“You were pretty out of it at the time man” Andrew told Simon. “You probably just imagined it.”

“Yeah,” Simon replied, “yeah I guess…”

*

On board Lizzax’s ship, Blaze bowed to his master in forgiveness for letting the Red Ranger escape with the others.

“I am disappointed with you Blaze, make no mistake about that” Lizzax scolded him. “However, I have decided to be more forgiving this time. Count yourself lucky that you will not suffer a punishment on this occasion.”

Blaze was surprised: “I am extremely grateful my Lord, but… why?”

“I’m not too sure of that myself! Perhaps I acknowledge that this failure was not entirely your fault. Those meddlesome Rangers seem to be quiet adept at interfering with my plans. They are an enemy that we should not underestimate. However, do not grow too comfortable with my lenience, for next time you fail me, it may be an entirely different story.”

Blaze humbly bowed again: “I understand, my Lord. Thank you, my Lord.”

Lizzax left the room, leaving Blaze by himself. As he stood alone in the silence, the images still flooded his memory: the face of that young human girl that he had decided to spare.

Even now he could not understand why he had let her go. He should have killed her. If it had been any other human, he was certain that he would have! But this one in particular… something about her affected him. The panic and dread in her eyes, the innocent expression on her face which told him that she simply didn’t belong there.

Why had he shown mercy towards her? Why hadn’t he reported her involvement to Lord Lizzax? Why did her presence still assault his very being?

Blaze did not know the answers, and he did not wish to. He forced all memories of the human to the back of his mind. He knew he had a job to do, and next time, no human would be spared! Not one…

bushwacka666

09-17-2005, 07:37 AM

Lizzax tries an old-fashioned "strength in numbers" tactic against the Rangers - and it seems to be working! Will the overwhelming odds prove to be more than they can handle?

Jacen

09-17-2005, 08:41 AM

Awesome ^_^.

I have my suspictions about why he didn't kill her. Good work Bush :)

bushwacka666

09-17-2005, 08:47 AM

Awesome ^_^.

I have my suspictions about why he didn't kill her. Good work Bush :)

Thanks Jacen. :)

And about your suspicions: well please feel free to PM me about them if you want - I'm always curious to know what thoughts this all stirs up... ;)

Jacen

09-17-2005, 08:58 AM

Awe, but if I did that, you'd change the ending (j/k).

bushwacka666

09-17-2005, 09:30 AM

(Pardon my French but) Bollocks to that m8! I'm 10 chapters ahead with writing and have the rest of the fic completely planned out - I'm not changing it for you or anybody! :D

Jacen

09-17-2005, 09:36 AM

I have no idea what you said in the first part of that message.

Oh well. I think what I think (huh?) is pretty ovious anyway ^_^

Zord_Crazy

09-18-2005, 11:58 PM

Blaze pausing in battle & not killing Nikita? The boy has some issues. 'Sides that, great job as always, duder!!

bushwacka666

09-19-2005, 08:28 AM

Blaze pausing in battle & not killing Nikita? The boy has some issues. 'Sides that, great job as always, duder!!

So does that mean you didn't like that part? Would've preferred to see some blood and guts?

Jacen

09-19-2005, 08:30 AM

I thought that piece was cool... Some secret story lined up bush? ^_^

bushwacka666

09-19-2005, 08:31 AM

I thought that piece was cool... Some secret story lined up bush? ^_^

Now if I told you that, it wouldn't be a secret, would it? :P

Zord_Crazy

09-19-2005, 12:16 PM

So does that mean you didn't like that part? Would've preferred to see some blood and guts?

No, no, no. I loved it. But who would have thought Blaze would just stop like that, eh??

Jacen

09-19-2005, 12:19 PM

Bush: You could just say yes ^_^

ZC: Seems to me like it sparked a memory or something.

Silver-Ranger

09-22-2005, 08:25 PM

Bush: You could just say yes ^_^

ZC: Seems to me like it sparked a memory or something.

I agree with Jacen.

bushwacka666

09-27-2005, 09:36 AM

Lord Lizzax gazed down at the Earth, the striking sight of the human homeworld, an impressive mixture of blue and green covered with swirls of white. He then turned towards one of his viewing screens, observing live footage of the Rangers as they relaxed in the park. His eyes began to colour a slight shade of green – he was envious. Envious of the Rangers’ two Hydra’s Teeth to his one. Alright, it wasn’t exactly an enormous advantage, he could admit that, but it was an advantage nonetheless.

He needed to find a way to eliminate these Rangers, to eradicate them from the face of the planet, to exterminate them as cruelly and painfully as possible like the vermin they were. However, every time he launched an attack against them – or every time he tried to obtain a Tooth – the Rangers always stood in his way. He grew tired of their continued interference, and he knew he needed to stay one step ahead.

Lizzax took one last look at the Rangers, then turned from the screen to face his servants, who stood patiently as they awaited their leader’s instructions.

“The Ultrastar Rangers have meddled in our affairs one time too many” the reptile-like tyrant spoke to them. “Now is the time to try a slightly different tactic - strength in numbers.”

He turned to the Technicals: “I want an army. An entire legion of my best monsters. They will all be dispatched together down to Earth, and their combined numbers and power will be too much for the Rangers to possibly defend against. See to it, Technicals, as I want all those monsters ready to go within the hour!”

“What?” both Technicals cried out in unison. The pair immediately commenced their panicked protests:

“No way can we do that!”

“An army in an hour?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!”

Lizzax had already lost track of which Technical was saying what, but that was irrelevant to him. All he knew was that his supposedly loyal subjects were defying him. His eyes began to tint red with anger, and his clawed hands started to crackle with electricity.

“You dare argue with me?” he roared out. “Do you really think that I find your laziness favourable? Are you so incompetent that you cannot even understand I am the supreme authority here?”

The Technicals stammered out in fear, unconsciously taking a few steps back as they anticipated Lizzax’s powerful laser beams once again blasting them from one end of the ship to the other.

“My Lord,” Blaze spoke up, quickly stepping in between Lizzax and the Technicals, “I do not condone the Technicals lack of respect towards you, but I must admit that their protests are well-founded. To amass a monster army in such a short period of time simply cannot be done. I am afraid I must be totally honest – what you ask is truly impossible.”

Lizzax slowly lowered his arms, deciding not to unleash his fury after all. The red glare still remained in his eyes, however. He let out a little sigh of frustration:

“I appreciate your honesty, Blaze. Perhaps monsters are impossible, but I must have an army. How about Reptolites – can that be done?”

“Now that’s no trouble at all, my Lord” Screech immediately answered. “We can get dozens of Reptolites ready to go within half an hour!”

“See to it” Lizzax ordered them, then left the bridge without any other words.

Squawk let out a sigh of relief: “I thought we were done for that time! Blaze, thanks for sticking up for us. We really appreciate it.” Screech just bobbed her head up and down in agreement.

The general shot a glare at them: “Don’t get too used to it. Now you heard Lord Lizzax – get to work!”

Blaze walked out, leaving the Technicals to regain their composure and carry out their master’s orders.

*

In the park, the Rangers chilled out on one of the picnic benches when they were suddenly joined by Nikita. The young Asian beauty took a seat beside her friends, greeting them with a simple “hey.”

“Hey Nik” Jessica replied. “How’s it going?”

“Not too bad” Nikita answered, although truthfully she had her doubts about that. When she had told the Rangers that she knew of their secret, they had warned her not to get involved, saying it was just too dangerous. Since then, a lingering tension had been formed between them – the Rangers had been pretty short with her then, and it had resulted in a slight uncomfortable atmosphere from then on.

In addition to that, Nikita was still recovering from her recent ordeal when she was attacked by the fire-like alien creature, the one calling himself Blaze. On that day, she had been certain she was going to die. Why Blaze suddenly decided to let her go, she still didn’t understand. But an experience like that would leave anyone shaky for a while, and she was no exception.

Relative silence continued through the park, but the peace would not remain for long. A sudden flash of light heralded the arrival of a group of Reptolites. The lizard-like soldiers quickly surrounded the bench where the teens sat. The Rangers immediately scrambled to their feet, snapping into defensive fighting stances. Nikita also stood up, but she just cowered back as far as she could against the bench – she was no fighter.

“Stay back Nik” Andrew warned her.

“There…there’s a lot of them” Nikita stammered back. “Let me help.”

“Andrew’s right, this isn’t a fight for you” Simon snapped. “Stay by the bench, we’ll handle these guys.”

The Reptolites advanced, the Rangers proceeding to fend them off. Amy used her gymnastic skills to bend her body in order to avoid the soldiers’ swiping claws, while Jack stood by her side using his highly-effective martial arts to beat them back. Meanwhile, Jessica and Andrew worked together to bring down their share of the opponents. Jessica locked her arm with Andrew’s, who offered her support while he swung her round to deliver solid kicks to three Reptolites, one after the other.

The Rangers had hoped to remain close to the bench to shield Nikita, but unfortunately things did not turn out according to plan. The fight had forced both the Rangers and the Reptolites to spread out. Simon now performed a swift leg-sweep to ground one Reptolite. Another charged at him, but Simon was prepared, kicking at the one he had just tripped up and causing it to slide backwards along the grass, straight into the legs of the charging soldier. This Reptolite also began to topple forwards, but Simon wouldn’t even allow it the luxury of landing – A swift kick to the head caused the Reptolite to reverse direction in midair before it even had a chance to react.

What Simon was not aware of, however, was a third Reptolite approaching him from behind. He suddenly found himself with a struggle on his hands as the soldier latched on to his back, trying to haul him away to anywhere he could manage. Simon resisted as hard as he could, trying to grab onto the Reptolites arms and force them off. But the creature’s evil grip held fast. Its ugly scaly head edged ever closer to Simon’s own face, its sharp teeth attempting to practically close over their latest source of food…

“Hey, let him go!” cried a sudden voice. It was Nikita, who ran up to the Reptolite and tried to pull him off of Simon. She wasn’t having much luck, but that didn’t stop her trying. Deciding it had had enough of the human’s insignificant interference, the Reptolite suddenly swung one arm back, knocking Nikita aside. However, this luckily gave Simon a chance, and he quickly managed to wrestle free, taking down the Reptolite with a swift kick to the head.

The soldiers were defeated, disappearing in another flash. The Rangers regrouped, with Simon extending a hand down to Nikita. Nikita took it and was helped to her feet. As soon as she reached eye level with Simon, she noticed that he was staring straight at her:

“You shouldn’t have done that.”

“I had to” she protested. “You were in trouble.”

“One of the others would have helped me out if I couldn’t manage it myself. You should have just stayed at the bench like we said.”

“Oh come on, I just saved your life!”

“You put yourself in danger!” Simon shot back. “We’ve told you, Nikita, this is too risky for you.”

“At the moment, maybe, but maybe it’d be different if you’d just give me a chance. I want to help.”

“I’m sorry Nik,” Amy spoke up, “but Si’s right. It’s just too dangerous, and you could end up getting seriously hurt.”

“Yeah,” Jack agreed, “and next time, we might not be there to save you. You want to help? Stay out of it.”

Silence followed, Nikita unsure of how to respond. At the moment, she felt hurt and cast aside. Fair enough, they were just trying to protect her – their hearts were in the right place. But the bottom line is that she wanted to do some good in this world, and they weren’t letting her. It just wasn’t fair.

The awkward silence was cut short by a sudden beep from Simon’s Morpher. He brought it up and pressed the communication button:

“Go for Simon.”

“Rangers,” came General Bennet’s voice through the device, “report to headquarters immediately. We have a situation.”

“On our way.”

The Rangers each gave Nikita one last glance – some guilty and apologetic, others just annoyed – and then ran off.

*

The Rangers arrived at the Moonbeam Hotel, taking the elevator to the secret thirteenth floor. There they reported straight to the control centre, where several Ultrastar crew busily bustled around, monitoring various equipment and tapping numerous buttons.

“Rangers” called out Steven as he walked up to them. The Rangers gave a salute to the General before following him across to the main viewing screen.

“What’s the situation sir?” Jessica asked.

“Take a look for yourself” replied Steven, gesturing to the screen. There the Rangers witnessed Reptolites. Dozens of them. Steven pressed a button, bringing up another area which also contained an army of soldiers. Then another image came up, and another, and another… Practically every inch of the city streets were filled with Reptolites.

“Um… that’s a lot of Reptolites.” Amy spluttered.

“Don’t I know it!” agreed Steven. “It reminds me of when me and a team-mate came up against dozens of Sludges during our final battle against Ivan Ooze. But that doesn’t even compare to the amount of soldiers there are here.”

“Where did they all come from?” asked Jack.

“From Lizzax, where else? Clearly he’s trying a outnumbering tactic, thinking that a Reptolite army will be simply too much for you to handle.”

“Yeah, and he’d be right!” Andrew exclaimed. “Please tell me that Katrina and the techs have got something new to help us out.”

Steven sighed: “Unfortunately there is no new equipment available at this time. But we have no time to just stand by while the Reptolites cause havoc on the city – you have to try your best.”

The Rangers nodded in response. Yes they knew the odds were against them, but they also knew that the General was right: they had a job to do. Raising their Morphers, they announced the call:

“Ultra-Op, Engage!”

*

The Reptolites rampaged their way through the city, sending the civilians running in panic and fear. There were just too many of them, more than anybody could count in the middle of everything. Right now, the citizens of Water Rose City knew that only one thing could save them – the Power Rangers.

Their prayers were answered. The five MantaStars suddenly came speeding in from around the corner, their Ranger drivers behind the wheels. The vehicles were lined up, opening fire and sending their laser ordinance straight into the Reptolite group. The people let out relieved cheers as the MantaStars hovered overhead, on their way in an attempt to rid the city of this alien vermin.

“That’s about ten down, and a whole lot more to go!” Jessica called out to the others.

“Even with the MantaStars’ firepower,” added Andrew, “I don’t know if we can take them all.”

“We have to” replied Simon. “If we can’t even take out the soldiers, then the city has no hope.”

*

“My Lord, the Rangers have engaged the Reptolites in their MantaStar vehicles” Squawk reported. Lizzax looked over at the screen where he saw the five Rangers splitting up to cover more ground in the city.

“Good” he replied. “See to it that the Reptolites overpower them as quickly as possible. They will stand no chance alone.”

*

In a way, having a street filled with Reptolites actually made it harder to land a hit – more precise attacks were sometimes necessary to take out a Reptolite, and a MantaStar’s laser cannons had little chance of achieving this among all the confusion.

Jack had realised this, bringing his MantaStar to a halt and climbing out to fight on foot. He charged in, using his Ultra Staff to help him beat back to hoards of opponents flocking towards him. Both ends of the Ultra Staff could be used to attack, and Jack put this to good use, turning it horizontally and using it to spear a Reptolite in front, then r