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[Pryce unveiled S.P.D.’s latest creation] – “This, Commander, is the Delta X Series patrol drone,” Pryce proudly announced, as he walked around to stand next to her. “Hot off the assembly line.”
“These are already branded. This is...” Kat started, but found herself speechless.
“Amazing? Awesome? Hot? A technological breakthrough?” Pryce said, as he glanced at her. “Give me a hint.”
“This is...completely unauthorized!” Kat said, as she looked back at Pryce, giving him a furious look. “What have you done?”
[Syd learned of Mia’s past] – “What’s wrong?” Syd wondered aloud.
“Mrs. Bradshaw told me that she’s found a potential foster family for Anna,” Mia said. “I’m running out of time. If I don’t get my daughter back soon, I may lose her forever.”
[Cruger decided to send the Rangers to Fernovia] – “I think it would be a good idea if I dispatched the Rangers to Fernovia to investigate the terrorist attacks there,” Cruger said.
Kat looked a bit surprised.
“But sir, the situation on Fernovia has gotten more dangerous by the day,” Kat said.
“That’s why I need to get to the bottom of the situation there. We don’t have enough forces to send an army to aid their forces. But I can send them my best,” Cruger said, as he looked at Bridge, Sophie & Quinn.
[Syd had a happy reunion] – As Syd walked a bit further from the exit and looked in that direction, she smiled. She knew exactly whom the voice belonged to. She watched the black leather pants walk slowly from the shadows. Wearing a matching black hat and leather jacket, Z Delgado placed her hands in the pockets and smiled back at her partner.
– At the sound of Bridge’s sentence the Delta X Series robot moved slightly towards him, as its faceplate blinked red. The robot tilted its head curiously.
“Bridge Carson...” it spoke in its booming baritone voice.
“Yeah?” Bridge responded quietly.
“Prepare to die!”
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[B]“ADMISSION”
“This is unbelievable.”
Even as the words escaped his mouth, Doggie Cruger could not fathom what he witnessed. His eyes never left the holographic monitor inside S.P.D. Earth’s Command Center. His words gave weight to his feelings as he glanced at an image of the Delta X Series robots housed inside the main science lab. At his sides, Commander Kat Manx and Doctor Pryce Jensen also watched the recording as it played out on the projector built into the main control console. Designed as an instructional tool, the video had arrived with the drones. The monotone, seemingly robotic voice that narrated the demo continued without interruption, despite Cruger’s outburst...
“As you can see, these drones are the most sophisticated technology at Space Patrol Delta’s disposal. Armed with superior sensory perception, these robots are equipped to handle any authorized vocal command and respond in an instant. The purpose of the Delta X Series is simple: Protect and Serve.”
Cruger paused the recording, causing both Kat and Jensen to lock eyes with him.
“How is this even possible?” Cruger said, stunned. “I’ve never heard anything about a Delta X Series.”
“I hadn’t either until they showed up on our doorstep,” Kat said. “I had a feeling you didn’t authorize this.”
“Who did?” Cruger spoke angrily.
Pryce Jensen sighed, as he handed Cruger a small LCD pad.
“These are the orders that came with X-Squad. It says the Supreme Commander’s authorization code was approved,” Jensen said, as Cruger let out a low grumble.
“This is only the tip of the iceberg,” Kat said. “You won’t get the full effect of these drones until you see them in person.”
“Which you’re welcome to do at any time, sir,” Jensen chimed in.
As Cruger continued to digest the revelation of the Delta X Series’ existence, the silence inside the Command Center was broken by a security alarm. Every eye in the place fell upon Ghiren, the S.P.D. technician who worked at the tracking station. If there was a breach in S.P.D.’s security, he would be the first to know. After pressing a few buttons, the green-skinned alien turned to the three standing in the center of the room.
“It’s Officer Carson! He’s called for security in his quarters. He said he’s being attacked by a large...dog-shaped robot,” Ghiren announced, curiously.
Cruger, Kat and Jensen all turned towards the paused image of the Delta X Series robot.
“Security is already on the way,” Niyako spoke from the communications station.
“So are we!” Kat yelled, as she sprinted through the Command Center doors, followed closely by Jensen and Cruger.
==========
Inside his quarters, Bridge Carson couldn’t help but stare at the glowing red eyes on the faceplate of the robot towering before him.
“Prepare to die!” the metallic voice spoke again.
Bridge saw it moving closer. He glanced past the robot, at his desk on the far end of the room. His uniform lay crumpled in his desk chair. He saw his morpher holstered there with it. His eyes shot back at the robot, as he quickly put both his hands up.
“Can’t we talk about this?” Bridge said, exasperated.
As his gloved hands extended a bit past the wrists of his long-sleeved blue t-shirt, Bridge saw something and decided to take a chance. He quickly rolled up his right sleeve and ripped off his glove, exposing his right arm. He used his nails to grab at the fake skin which covered his cybernetic limb. Once he exposed a bit of the machinery, he raised his arm in front of him.
“Look! See! I’m kinda like you. We’re all a little robotic,” Bridge said, causing the robot to stop in his tracks, as Bridge inched backwards, closer to the exit.
As Bridge saw the robot’s eyes blink quickly a few times, he thought he might have been breaking through its programming.
“We’re like brothers...partially-robotic half-brothers,” Bridge stammered.
As he began to wave his cybernetic arm in front of the robot, its eyes re-adjusted and grabbed a hold of Bridge’s replacement arm, forcefully, pulling him forward, away from the doors. Bridge hoped the slight distraction was all he needed. While still in the robot’s grip, he twisted himself around, putting his back to the robot’s side. He reached out his left hand, grabbing a hold of the chair and yanking at it, causing his uniform to fly into the air, along with his morpher. As he saw the pants going over his head, he set his sights on his morphing device. He reached out with his left hand.
His hopes, however, were quickly dashed, as the robot grabbed a hold of his throat with its other hand, lifting Bridge into the air. Out the corner of his eye, Bridge saw his uniform and morpher fall to the floor near the doors. The Delta X Series robot slammed Bridge against the far wall of his room near the desk, narrowly missing the window.
“This…is no way…to treat…family,” Bridge mumbled, as he tried to breathe through the robot’s clenched fist.
As he could feel his throat closing, he feared it would crush under the robot’s grip. His right wrist still occupied the robot’s other massive hand, leaving Bridge with only his left, which he was currently using to try to pry the robot’s hand off his throat. Thinking quickly, Bridge raised his left foot, planting it on the metallic joint which connected the robot’s head to its shoulders. He used all of his weight to fight against the robot’s grip and push him away.
“Down…boy,” Bridge muttered, as the pain continued.
As his vision started to blur, he saw the doors to his quarters slide open. Four security guards rushed inside, grabbing at the robot’s limbs from behind. Right behind them were Kat, Pryce and Cruger.
“Carson!” Cruger yelled.
“Hold on, Bridge!” Kat chimed in.
With no fear, Pryce rushed in behind the guards, grabbing at the back of the robot’s chest armor. Kat watched as Pryce stuck his hand underneath the plating and began grabbing at something. Within a matter of moments, the robot completely shut down. Bridge fell to the floor, as did the security guards. Kat rushed to Bridge’s side.
“Bridge, are you okay?”
“I’ve…been better,” Bridge said, as he gasped for air. “What is that thing?”
“The future of S.P.D. law enforcement,” Kat said, angrily as she locked eyes with Pryce, who gave her a troubled look.
Cruger stepped further into the interior of the room, as the guards all had weapons trained on the robot.
“What happened?” Cruger said, forcefully, as he looked at Pryce.
However, Bridge, looking apologetic, spoke up first.
“Well, sir…I was having some burritos and—“
“Not you, Carson!” Cruger shot Bridge a look, before turning his attention back to Pryce. “Doctor?”
“I don’t know. It must have been some kind of malfunction. I don’t even know how it got out of my lab. They only activate upon vocal command,” Pryce explained.
“Figure it out!” Cruger yelled, before storming out of the room.
As Kat helped Bridge to his feet, she couldn’t help but notice the curiosity filling his eyes, as he looked at the robot. She watched him walk closer to it.
“Hmm, he’s kinda cool…now that he’s not trying to strangle the life out of me,” Bridge said, still massaging his neck.
Kat sighed.
==========
Sydney Drew emerged from her bathroom looking almost like a different woman. Unlike earlier this evening, her hair was now perfectly placed...in curlers, her white dress was hung in the closet and her face was free of all makeup. She grabbed a mug of hot chocolate from Z Delgado’s hand and knelt onto her couch, joined by her partner, who was still dressed for travel.
“I almost thought I was gonna have to send a search party in there after you,” Z said, as she sipped the warm beverage.
“Sorry. I just have a lot on my mind,” Syd responded.
“Mia?”
“Yeah. It’s weird. A few weeks ago I never would have guessed I’d consider her a friend.”
“I’m not so sure you can,” Z said, flatly.
“What?”
“Mia is Syren Dean’s friend, not Sydney Drew’s,” Z said.
“You know what I mean.”
“But she doesn’t,” Z explained. “Look, Mia isn’t the priority here. Supreme Commander Cruger sent us here to get the goods on Van Tigue, not his girlfriend.”
“I know that. But, getting close to Mia gets me close to Barrett. At least, that’s what I thought when I first tried to befriend her,” Syd said, solemnly.
“But she hasn’t gotten you any closer to cracking this case,” Z said. “And from what you told me about her drama with her kid, I doubt Van Tigue’s at the top of her list of priorities right now. You need to refocus.”
“I’ve been trying. It’s just…I haven’t been able to find the right angle to get close enough to Barrett. If someone were to catch me snooping around his office, my cover would be blown.”
“Maybe you should attack it the old-fashioned way. Use your feminine wiles,” Z said, with a smirk.
“Feminine wiles?” Syd gave her a sarcastic glance. “I can’t do that. If Mia found out, she’d hate me.”
“She’d hate Syren. So what? We have a job to do.”
“I’m not like you, Z. I can’t just bury my personal feelings when they get in the way,” Syd said, as she stared at Z. “Mia’s not Piggy.”
Z grimaced at the sound of the alien’s name.
“Piggy tried to kill me…and he thinks he did. He’s getting what he deserves. Besides, I’m killing two birds with one stone. Piggy gets to pay for what he did and if I keep it up, he’ll crack and confess, telling us everything he knows about Van Tigue’s plans,” Z explained.
“So Piggy’s paying for what he thinks he did?”
“He betrayed me, Syd. There’s no way you can make me feel bad about this,” Z said.
“I’m not trying to. I just want you see that emotion is a big part of the way we both do things. I can’t betray Mia.”
Z stood up in frustration, placing her mug on the coffee table. She shook her head as she turned back to Syd.
“This investigation is not about her. It’s about getting to Van Tigue and finding out what he’s up to,” Z said.
“Well, I haven’t had much luck. From what I’ve observed around here, he doesn’t do much face-to-face business in his office. It’s mostly phone calls, usually to Prax. With Lady Vishus around, I can’t get much closer.”
“Trailing him hasn’t turned up much either,” Z revealed. “His limo’s been all over the city. He’s had meetings with tons of people, all above board. We’re obviously missing something.”
“If he’s not doing any dirty deeds here and not while he’s out, what does that leave?” Syd wondered aloud.
As both women racked their brains, someone knocked at Syd’s door. Syd stood up, looking confused.
“It’s late,” she whispered to Z. “Who could that be?”
Z pointed to the peep hole on the door. Syd peeked in, then turned back to her, looking stunned.
“It’s Barrett,” she mouthed the words, but didn’t make a sound.
After a few more knocks were heard, Z ducked into the bathroom, closing the door. Syd opened the door slowly and saw Barrett. He was still dressed from her earlier performance, wearing black from head to toe. She forced a smile.
“Barrett, this is a surprise,” Syd said.
“I’m sorry to bother you, Syren.”
“It’s all right. What’s up? Is Mia okay?” Syd asked.
“Mia’s fine. I had a favor to ask you. With all of the excitement downstairs I forgot completely about it. May I come in?”
Syd glanced behind her at the interior of the apartment. Just as she was about to oblige, she caught sight of the two mugs of cocoa on the table. She couldn’t let Barrett know she wasn’t alone. She turned back to him quickly.
“Actually, I was just on my way to bed. Can we discuss this tomorrow?”
“It’s about tomorrow,” Barrett said. “I’m supposed to be hosting a small fundraiser for a research company that I contribute to. I received a call earlier from the entertainment. They backed out at the last minute. I could really use your talents.”
“A party?”
“I’d pay you for your time of course. You don’t have to take the offer, but I’d really appreciate it. You’d be helping me out of a real bind,” Barrett spoke sincerely.
“I’ll do it,” Syd agreed.
“Thank you, Syren. The event’s at my home. I’ll leave you directions tomorrow. Don’t worry about anything else. I’ll have it all taken care of,” Barrett said with a smile.
“Okay.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Barrett said, as he turned to walk away.
Syd watched him get to the end of the hallway. Before he started down the staircase, he turned back to her.
“Thanks again.”
Syd simply nodded, as she saw him leave. She closed the door and sighed.
“You can come out,” she spoke.
She watched Z emerge from the bathroom and rub her brow.
“That was a little too close,” she said.
“I know.”
“But...this could be just the opening we’ve been looking for,” Z said, as she thought.
“His house?” Syd wondered aloud.
“Could be just the opportunity we need and now you’ve got an invitation into the sanctuary,” Z concluded.
==========
The sun rose over New Tech City, as Kat Manx strolled into the Command Center. Her face was blank. She seemed to show no emotion. It wasn’t a feeling she often had, but the events of the last few days had truly left her unsettled. But that was an emotion she also didn’t want to convey to her crew. She glanced at Ghiren and Niyako, both working at their stations on the right side of the room. The two had become almost like pieces of equipment. She made a mental note to give them more time off. Her eyes veered to Pryce Jensen who was working at the main control console. She let out a bit of a sigh, as she walked over, seeing him focused intently.
“You look a mess. Did you pull an all-nighter?” Kat said, as she noticed the stubble on his face and the weary look in his eyes.
“Yes. And, so far, I’ve come to one conclusion about that X-Squad robot’s malfunction,” Pryce said, with a faint smile.
“Which is?”
“It wasn’t my fault,” Pryce said, as he hunched his shoulder, giving her a sarcastic glance.
“Pryce, I need real answers here. This is no time for joking,” Kat said, sternly. “Besides, it’s still your fault for not keeping your lab secure.”
“Touché,” Pryce said, as he glanced back at the control station’s readout. “From what I can tell, it was a simple malfunction in the robot’s communications node.”
“He almost killed Bridge. There’s nothing simple about it,” Kat said, raising her voice a bit and drawing the attention of Ghiren, Niyako and the other technicians working in the room.
“I replaced the node and he seems to be responding to commands perfectly,” Pryce explained. “The malfunction is responsible for all of this. The other drones didn’t move an inch. I checked the security cameras. A stray announcement over the communications systems in the base activated him. Given the malfunction in his communications node, the robot thought it was ordering him to Officer Carson’s room. Bridge’s voice added more problems to the mix at that point.”
“So, you’re saying he heard an announcement to send a maintenance crew to the zord bay, but that’s not what his systems registered?” Kat asked, curiously.
“Exactly.”
“Still…’prepare to die’…that shouldn’t even be in his vocabulary,” Kat said, as she thought back to Bridge’s account of what happened.
“These things are state of the art. Everything’s in their vocabulary,” Pryce said, looking optimistic. “But trust me, that doesn’t mean they act on it. It has internal weapons and it didn’t use them. He could have fried Bridge in a matter of seconds.”
“All the more reason to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” Kat added.
“It won’t. I isolated the problem and fixed it,” Pryce said. “It’s all part of field testing.”
Kat sighed, as she turned away from Pryce and the main control console. Part of her wished she had re-installed the Commander’s station there after her predecessor, Silverback, had it removed. She could use a place to think. When she heard the gentle hum off the doors to the Command Center opening, Kat turned back around, seeing Bridge, Sophie & Quinn enter. Quinn and Sophie were both looking very worried.
“Bridge told us what happened last night,” a surprised Quinn spoke. “Some S.P.D. robot attacked him?”
Before Kat could begin to respond, Sophie was talking.
“S.P.D. is making robots now?” she asked, still stunned from Bridge’s story.
“Where is he?” Bridge asked, with an excited glimmer in his eyes. “I want to show Quinn and Sophie!”
“Everyone listen,” Kat said, exerting her authority. “The Delta X Series of robots is still experimental. From what I understand, it’s still in the very early stages. We only have four of them here.”
Kat noticed the three Rangers all looking more curious as she continued to explain.
“I still don’t understand,” Sophie said, looking troubled. “S.P.D. doesn’t allow full cyborgs to serve…but they’re making robots who can?”
“Sophie, there are a lot of questions that need to be answered when it comes to the Delta X project,” Kat said. “Supreme Commander Cruger has already left for Andruss III. He’s trying to figure out where the authorization for the project came from in the first place.”
“You mean Doggie didn’t sign off on them?” Bridge asked.
Kat shook her head.
“This is all kinda confusing,” Quinn said.
“I know,” Kat stated. “For right now, focus on your next mission. Your shuttle is already prepped for the trip to Fernovia.”
“Right,” Pryce added. “The situation is extremely dangerous. We received a communication from the planet about an hour ago. There was another bombing. They’re planning on making another currency delivery to the terrorists today.”
“Hopefully, they won’t have to,” Bridge said, thinking ahead to his plan of action.
“Remember to be careful,” Kat added.
“Don’t worry,” Sophie said. “We’re ready for them.”
“Actually,” Bridge said, looking slyly. “I know a way we could be even more prepared.”
“Bridge?” Kat asked, shuddering at what Bridge could be thinking.
“Can we take one of the Delta X robots with us?”
“No!” Kat said quickly and loudly. “They haven’t been tested. After what happened last night, do you really want to take that risk?”
“Please, Kat!”
“I did fix the problem, Commander,” Pryce said, quietly at her side.
“See!” Bridge exclaimed. “We could show those terrorists something they’ve never seen before. Sophie and I outfitted Murphy with a detonator detector. If one of those huge robots had that kind of ability we could find those bombs even faster!”
“It’s too dangerous,” Kat said.
“Please, Kat. It’ll be cool, right Dr. Jensen?” Bridge gestured towards Pryce.
“We are supposed to be field testing them,” Pryce said, carefully as he glanced at Kat.
“I don’t like this,” she said. “But…this is your mission, Bridge.”
Bridge smiled.
“Thanks!”
“If it starts acting strangely, you deactivate it,” Kat said. “Dr. Jensen will instruct you on how.”
“Of course,” Pryce jumped in.
“This is gonna be awesome,” Bridge said, as he put his arm around Sophie. “A terminator team!”
Bridge guided her out of the Command Center, as Quinn stayed behind for a few seconds shaking his head. After an eye roll to Kat, he trailed behind his teammates.
“I guess I better go start that lesson,” Pryce said.
As he turned to leave, Kat grabbed his arm.
“If something goes wrong out there, I’m holding you personally responsible,” Kat spoke in a tone more serious than Pryce had ever heard from her before.
He nodded. Kat released him and he exited the Command Center. Kat took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment, hoping she had made the right decision.
==========
The Solarus Café on Andruss III was a popular spot on the planet, because it was the only restaurant made entirely out of glass. Every table, every chair, every wall. Even the ceiling gave viewers a look at the sweeping blue sky. It didn’t hurt that it was centrally located within walking distance of Galaxy Command, the Galactic Council Center and Karovian Towers, one of the largest living complexes on the planet. That made it the perfect spot for Isinia and Sky to have lunch.
As she glanced across the reflective table at Sky, Isinia noticed he hadn’t touched his food since it arrived, other than the occasional poke with his fork. The cheesy concoction had to be cold by now, she thought.
“Not hungry after all?” Isinia asked aloud.
“When I saw they had macaroni and cheese on the menu, I thought it might cheer me up,” Sky said, with a frown as he stared down at the dish. “No such luck.”
“Your favorite?”
“It was. When I was a kid my dad made some for me from a family recipe. It tasted great,” Sky explained.
“Your father cooked?”
“Only macaroni and cheese,” Sky said, with a chuckle as he glanced over at Isinia. “Only one time too. But still, that one time was amazing. Just sitting down with him and eating together. We didn’t get a lot of time together when I was growing up.”
“One time is all it takes to give us lasting memories, Sky,” Isinia said, attempting to reassure him, as she could feel the tension Sky gave off in his body language.
“I know. Even today, nothing beats my dad’s macaroni and cheese.”
“I take it your mother wasn’t a big chef?”
Sky instantly laughed at Isinia’s inquiry.
“At least I got you to smile,” Isinia added.
“My mom never cooked anything. It wasn’t her style. Why cook when you could get someone else to get dirty? My nanny did most of the cooking,” Sky explained.
“A nanny?”
“Nanny, housekeeper, nursemaid…she basically did everything for me growing up. My mom was always busy with her social commitments. Her name was Rebecca. People would always think she was my mother,” Sky revealed. “Until I got older and my hair got darker, like my parents. She was blond. You know, she was with me when I found out my dad died.”
“Really?” Isinia asked, surprised at the information. “Where was your mother?”
“She was inside the hospital. I couldn’t go in. Rebecca stayed with me outside and that’s when one of the officers came out and told us what happened,” Sky spoke, while also trying to reign in his emotions over the memory. “He gave me my dad’s helmet. I never parted with it after that.”
“You have it with you here?”
“No. I left it on Earth. I didn’t know what was going to happen and if they send me to prison, I didn’t want it to fall into the wrong hands,” Sky said, somberly.
“I’m dedicated to making sure that doesn’t happen,” Isinia said, as someone walked up to the table near Sky.
“Preparing for the worst?” Obla Grutton said. “That’s a good idea.”
Sky’s sadness was pushed aside by his instant anger at the arrival of the advocate looking to place him behind bars.
“Were you listening in on our conversation?” Sky said, angrily.
“It’s the ears,” Grutton said, as he ran his fingers along his tall furry white ears. “They pick up quite a lot whether I want them to or not. I’m sure you have that same problem, Mrs. Cruger.”
“I’ve learned to tune out things that don’t concern me,” Isinia said quickly.
“Good for you,” Grutton said.
If his face didn’t have a permanent grin on it, she would have sworn he was mocking her.
“Can we help you with something?” Isinia asked.
“No. I just saw you two sitting over here and thought I’d say hello. Just a friendly welcome. Glad to see visitors to our great planet getting out and enjoying the place. Especially when they are…short on time,” Grutton said, as he glanced back at Sky.
Sky began to get up from his seat, furiously. Isinia immediately put a hand up, motioning for him to sit back down, as she saw several other patrons beginning to look in their direction. The two guards assigned to Sky were positioned across the street and appeared to be ready to intervene as well.
“Thank you, Advocate Grutton. Now, if you don’t mind, we’d like to get back to our meal,” Isinia said, calmly.
“Of course,” Grutton said, smugly with another glance to Sky. “Enjoy.”
Within seconds, he was out of sight. Isinia saw Sky’s fuming face and sighed.
“You can’t let him do this to you,” Isinia said.
“I know that,” Sky said, tensely. “It’s just that guy makes me so mad.”
“Join the club. But we can’t fight back out here. We can only do it in the Council Chamber,” Isinia said.
“You’re right,” Sky said.
“Glad you think so. Now if you’re not going to eat that macaroni and cheese, I think my pups are still hungry,” Isinia said, with a playful nod.
Sky forced a grin, as he slid his plate towards her and tried to forget the incident.
==========
In the years since he had come to Andruss III, Galactic Council President Ottomus Cali had gotten used to many things. He had become accustomed to telling people to call him “Otto” when his first name had to be spoken. The misuse of Ottomus annoyed him. He endured the constant public scrutiny. The press had made their home on Andruss III just as much as he had. Another thing Cali had grown used to was the music of Chattis Phee. Four days after his arrival on the planet, he heard a haunting melody as he toured the Galactic Council Center. He followed the tune behind the building and noticed a humanoid creature who was about four feet tall. The sound coming from his alien instrument drew Cali in and he spent most of the next few months learning all he could about the creature and his song. Cali thought he would listen to Phee’s longest piece today, but a surprise visitor halted those plans. Impromptu visits were another thing he had gotten used to.
The doors to his office slid open, as he heard Tawke’s objections to Doggie Cruger’s entrance. Cruger was coming in whether anyone wanted him to or not. The Galactic Council President’s office was of rectangular shape. His raised desk was located at the very end of the room, opposite the entrance. If he didn’t have keen sight to match his hearing, he might not have been able to identify Cruger as fast as he did. Of course, Cruger being a tall, canine humanoid certainly helped.
“Tawke, it’s all right,” Cali called out. “I’ve got a few moments. I’ll see the Supreme Commander.”
“Yes, you will,” Cruger said, sternly as he entered.
After a polite nod, Tawke retreated back out into the hallway, allowing the doors to snap shut behind her.
“I don’t think I like your tone, Anubis,” Cali said, as he stood up from his desk and met Cruger in the middle of the long office.
They both seemed to stop a few feet away from one another, equally distant from the large canine symbol of Space Patrol Delta, which hung on the walls on both sides of them.
“You’re entitled,” Cruger said quickly. “After all, I’m here to tell you what I don’t like, so I guess it should go both ways.”
“Is this about the hearing?”
“No!” Cruger said angrily. “This is about things going over my head...again!”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the Delta X Series. Someone authorized the use of robots on Earth and I want to know who did. It certainly wasn’t the Supreme Commander,” Cruger said, as he held out a large LCD pad, showing Cali the orders.
Cali took the pad and began reading them through. He turned his back on Cruger as he slowly began walking back to his desk, still reading.
“I remember this,” Cali said, lowly, as he read.
“It should be pretty fresh in your memory, since they only arrived on Earth a few days ago,” Cruger said. “I assume you authorized them, since I didn’t and you’re the only one with the clearance to push them through without me knowing.”
Cali reached his desk and turned to Cruger, shaking his head.
“I didn’t give the authorization for the Delta X project,” Cali announced. “The Supreme Commander did.”
“What?” Cruger responded, as his confusion was causing even more anger.
“Birdy,” Cali said. “This was Birdy’s project. His last before his death. He’s the one who signed these orders.”
“That makes no sense,” Cruger said. “Birdy died months ago.”
“That’s when the authorization was signed,” Cali said. “I’m surprised he never told you about, seeing as how he told me during the planning stages that he wanted them to be first deployed on Earth. He had confidence in your branch of Space Patrol Delta. He wanted you all to be the first to test them.”
“Why didn’t he tell me?”
“I don’t know. From what I understand you two weren’t very close in the last months before his death. He still respected you immensely,” Cali said. “I’m sorry about the misunderstanding. With everything that’s happened, I completely forgot about this.”
“I don’t know if I agree with the implementation of robots on the battlefield,” Cruger said. “There are many variables that could go wrong.”
“Well, that’s why testing is done. Personally, I agree with you, but the future waits for no man...or dog, in this case. I suggest you allow S.P.D. Earth to continue the testing and make your decision based on what they find. Your Kat Manx is in command there, now. I’m sure she’ll oversee everything,” Cali explained.
“If I don’t believe they’re viable, I will pull the plug,” Cruger said.
“You have my full support on whatever you decide,” Cali said, as he handed the pad back to Cruger. “We’re all on the same side here, Anubis. We all want what’s best for Space Patrol Delta.”
Cruger nodded as exited the office. Once in the hallway, Cruger paused. He could feel Tawke’s eyes on him from her large circular desk. As he began to walk away, he was still troubled. It was true that he and Cali both wanted what was best for S.P.D., but some part of Cruger didn’t believe their methods allowed them to be on the same side.
==========
Even as Syd was buzzed through the large iron security gates, she had a hard time believing that the mansion sitting before her belonged to Barrett Van Tigue. She expected it to be large and it definitely was. But Syd was surprised to see the house was white. Barrett’s style had always seemed dark to her. Looks can be deceiving, she remembered, but still she was curious as to what lay inside.
She exited her small white Volkswagen beetle and took in the large two-story home. As she approached the double-doored entranceway, she extended her right index finger towards the doorbell. She never got to hear the sound, because the doors opened seconds before her finger could press the buzzer. She was immediately greeted by the sly face of Lady Vishus. She truly was Barrett’s shadow, Syd thought to herself.
“Well, if it isn’t Syren Dean,” Vishus said, through her pursed lips.
“I’m a little early, but Barrett’s expecting me,” Syd replied, with a cordial grin.
“I know everything, dear. Come in,” Vishus spoke methodically, as she extended her arm, gesturing for Syd to enter.
As she stepped inside, Syd saw that it was indeed Barrett Van Tigue’s house. The interior was dark. While the walls were all cream-colored, every piece of furniture in the large room was black. It fit well with the black and white checkered flooring, which was all much more modern than Syd had expected, given the classic exterior. As she walked further into the sitting room, she noticed two archways on her right. They seemed to form a “U” shape around behind the wall. She didn’t bother to glance in, as she followed Vishus’ lead past the first arch. Vishus pointed back to it.
“That’s the kitchen,” she said, as she walked further into the sitting room, pointing off to the back of the room at the piano, which sat on a raised area, two steps off the ground.
The instrument was black and polished perfectly, Syd noticed.
“That’s where you’ll be performing this evening,” Vishus said, as she kept walking.
Opposite the piano on the other side of the room was a well-stocked bar. Syd wasn’t surprised, given Mia’s knowledge of universal drinks and Barrett’s enjoyment of them. She saw a black leather couch against the wall to the left of the piano stage. Next to it, was another archway, which led further back into the house. She followed Vishus through it. Vishus pointed off to her left, as they entered.
“There’s the downstairs bathroom.”
After a quick glance Syd found herself looking straight ahead. There was a staircase further back and a large picture window, which looked out upon a pool outside the house. In the middle of the room was a pool table. This was Barrett’s rec room. On their right, she saw Vishus walk up to another large window. Syd walked over to her side and noticed this window looked down upon what appeared to be a personal gym on the floor below.
It was then that Syd caught sight of Barrett Van Tigue, sparring with a punching bag on the hard wood floor. Shirtless and sweaty, she watched as he connected with several punches and kicks. Syd was impressed. Van Tigue had other talents besides business.
“Barrett’s tae kwon do is quite advanced,” Vishus revealed, as she saw Syd’s expression of surprise. “I’ll let him know you’re here.”
Vishus walked a few feet further down the room, near the pool table. A small spiral staircase was located on the right of the room. Syd watched Vishus descend the staircase. Once she was out of sight, Syd’s eyes veered back to Barrett, thrusting his foot towards the bag and hitting it with a swift high kick. She noticed the definition in his chest and knew he must have been dedicated to keeping in good shape and the martial arts were helping him. Syd’s eyes veered to a trophy case lining the wall. There weren’t many, but she could tell he was an accomplished fighter. She even spied his red belt in the case.
At that moment, she saw Lady Vishus enter the gym. She walked towards Barrett and began speaking to him. Syd couldn’t hear what they were saying through the glass, but she saw Vishus’ nailed finger point in her direction. Barrett looked up at her. A slight smile came across his lips and Syd knew she had to smile back. She watched Barrett walk over to a wall, where an intercom was located. As he pressed the button and began speaking, she heard his voice on her right. She looked over to the wall and saw a matching intercom there.
“Syren, you’re early. I should have expected as much,” Barrett said, happily.
Syd pressed the button to respond.
“I aim to please,” she responded.
“I’m going to finish up down here and take a quick shower. If you have a seat in the sitting room, I’ll be with you in a few moments,” Barrett explained.
“Of course. Take your time,” Syd said.
She snuck one final glance down at him as Lady Vishus handed him a towel. As Syd walked back through the archway into the sitting room, she heard noises coming from the kitchen. She wasn’t sure if anyone else was supposed to be there, but her curiosity was piqued. She slowly walked over to the archway near the piano, at the rear of the room. As she got closer she realized the sound she heard was someone chopping something on a cutting board. As she got to the archway, she could hear the faint sound of humming, followed by the sounds of a woman’s voice lowly singing a Spanish tune.
Syd peeked in and saw the elderly woman of ample size rocking back and forth, as her fingers rhythmically chopped vegetables by hand, never hitting a finger and never missing a beat in her song. Syd smiled instantly. Noticing the woman was wearing simple clothing and a white apron, Syd knew she had found a real chef. She waited until a pause in the cutting to knock on the wall, alerting the woman to her presence. She jumped a bit, patting her chest with her free hand.
“Usted me espantó!” she said quickly, before translating. “You scared me.”
“I’m sorry. I just heard your singing and I had to come in.”
“You call that singing?” she said with a giggle. “You must not hear much.”
“Actually, I hear a lot more than you’d think,” Syd said, as she extended a hand. “I’m Syren Dean. Barrett hired me to sing at his fundraiser tonight.”
The older woman scurried over to the sink, washing her hands quickly and drying them. She waddled back over to Syd and took her hand.
“Pleasure to meet you. I don’t meet many of Señor Van Tigue’s guests. I am Consuela, the housekeeper.”
“Housekeeper?” Syd wondered curiously, as she looked back at the food preparation.
“Well, housekeeper, chef. I cook. I clean. You know, whatever Señor Van Tigue needs. He doesn’t keep much staff around. He’s very private man,” Consuela revealed.
“I understand that,” Syd said, with a nod. Seeing an opportunity to learn more about Barrett’s home life, she took it. “How long have you worked for Barrett?”
“Oh, not very long. About a month now. From what I’ve heard, he doesn’t like to keep the same staff for very long,” Consuela explained.
As Syd listened to her talk, she began to feel more comfortable. The woman had a gentle air about her. She spoke very good English given her advanced age. Syd could tell she had done a lot of labor in her day. She could see gray hairs peeking out from underneath Consuela’s wrapped head, as she went back to her chopping duties.
“I see,” Syd said, finally. “I guess you don’t really get too comfortable, then.”
“Oh, don’t worry about me. I plan on convincing Señor Van Tigue that I am the most useful employee he could have. He’s already kept me on longer than any of those before me,” Consuela said, with a wink.
“Sounds like he made a good decision,” Syd said, with a smile.
The two were so engrossed in their conversation that they never noticed someone had entered on the opposite side of the room.
“I’m glad you think so.”
Both women glanced over to see Barrett. Consuela seemed to become a bit unsettled.
“Señor Van Tigue, I was just—“
“She was keeping me company,” Syd said, cutting her off. “That was a quick shower.”
“When you’re a busy man like myself, you learn to be quick about things.”
“That is how you got me here on such short notice,” Syd retorted.
“Come on. Let me show you upstairs.”
“Of course,” Syd said, before briefly turning back to the housekeeper. “Consuela, it was very nice meeting you.”
“You as well, señorita,” Consuela responded.
Syd and Barrett walked back into the sitting room. Barrett walked up the steps to the piano and ran his hand across it. He was dressed more casually than she had ever seen him, wearing black sweat pants and a dark gray shirt.
“Rogi should be here soon. I figured having someone familiar accompany you might make you more comfortable,” Barrett said.
“I’ll be fine.”
“The crowd might be a little more stuffy than what you’re used to at the lounge. Much more of a business environment, lots of stuffed shirts, if you know what I mean,” Barrett explained.
Syd simply nodded in agreement. She followed Barrett through the archway and past the pool table. On the left side of the back room, she followed him up the staircase, which deposited them into a large hallway. Syd spied five doors, all closed. As Barrett walked, he pointed to the first one, on his right.
“That’s my office,” he said, before pointing to the first door on his left. “That’s the master suite.”
They continued down the hallway a bit and then paused. He pointed to his left again.
“This is the guest bedroom. The other two rooms are staff quarters. Vishus stays across the hall there and the one at the end of the hallway belongs to Consuela,” Barrett said, before opening the doors.
As they walked in, Syd noticed how dark the room was. The only sign of light came from the closed blinds keeping out the bright sunlight of Newtech City.
“Lights!” Barrett spoke out, causing the room to become instantly lit.
Syd looked around the room, noticing the modern decorative style continued. The walls were painted black, but adorned with thin, tan-colored wood planks, giving it a rustic feel. He walked right over to a closet and opened it. Syd’s jaw dropped as she saw the slender silver strapless silk dress hanging there. As she walked closer, she noticed the dress was trimmed in black. Syd knelt down on the floor, seeing a small white shoe box there. She opened it to find a pair of black high heels.
“Barrett...this is all too much,” Syd said.
“Nonsense. I want my guests to be blown away. It’ll make it a lot easier to talk them into giving donations,” Barrett said, with a chuckle.
“It’s all amazing.”
“You can thank Mia. She picked everything out herself,” Barrett said.
“She knows me well,” Syd said with a smile.
“Good,” he said, as he looked into her eyes. “You’ll look perfect. I have no doubt.”
As they stood there in nervous silence, Syd hoped and dreamed that someone would walk in so they weren’t alone. No one did.
==========
As Sophie dropped the classic S.P.D. shuttlecraft into the atmosphere of the planet Fernovia, she couldn’t help but take in the lush green landscape that covered the planet. It was one of the most beautifully natural scenes she had ever witnessed. Even the structures seemed to be partially organic, with vines wrapped around them and even through them. As she piloted the craft closer to the designated landing point, however, she could see that things weren’t so serene. She began to spy pillars of smoke in the distance. The shuttlecraft then sped by a large field, which was completely devoid of life. All that remained was a dark brown crater of burnt soil, another casualty of the recent bombings.
Sophie heard an alert from her control panel and knew they were getting closer to the landing point. She flipped a switch, opening two-way communication between the cockpit and the aft compartment. She could hear Bridge and Quinn talking in back.
“That makes no sense,” she heard Quinn say.
“But it does!” Bridge responded.
“He won’t respond to you calling him Deuce!” Quinn shot back.
“Well, we can’t go around calling him Delta X Series #01222 for the whole mission. Deuce is shorter and it makes sense,” Bridge said quickly.
“We’re not playing cards here, Bridge. He’s a robot with delicate processors. You above all people should know that,” Quinn said.
“I like Deuce. It fits. Right, Deuce?” Bridge said.
Sophie listened intently as the room went silent for a few seconds.
“Right, Bridge Carson,” she heard the robot’s voice.
“See! He gets it!” Bridge exclaimed.
Sophie nodded her head and leaned in closer to the panel.
“Guys, we’re coming up on the landing zone,” she announced.
At the sound of Sophie’s words, she heard some stirring on the floor of the cockpit, as Murphy got to his feet. The doors to the aft compartment slid open. Bridge and Quinn entered, followed closely by the newly-dubbed robot, Deuce. Bridge walked up next to Sophie and glanced out the cockpit windows.
“There it is,” Bridge said, as he pointed to a small circular landing pad.
“I don’t see the Fernovian S.P.D. team,” Sophie said, as she glanced around.
Quinn joined the two.
“That looks like a giant target,” Quinn said.
“Relax, everybody. I’m sure it’s fine,” Bridge said.
A few more beeps were heard from the communications systems. Bridge flipped the appropriate switches.
“This is S.P.D. Fernovia. State your identity!”
“This is Officer Bridge Carson of S.P.D. Earth. My access designation is A639BC. We request permission to land.”
“Permission granted. Be prepared to leave your vehicle immediately after landing!”
The three Rangers shared troubled glances. Moments later, the shuttlecraft had landed. Sophie strapped on her backpack, as Bridge and Quinn had their blasters drawn near the doorway. They heard a distinct pattern tapping on the shuttle doors.
“That’s them,” Bridge said, nodding to Sophie, who activated the doors, causing them to slide open.
Within seconds, they were faced with five blaster rifles pointed directly at them. Each blaster was in the hands of a Fernovian S.P.D. Ranger. They each sported their designated color and number. While their suits were similar in design to S.P.D. Earth’s, they were also much different. Since Fernovian heads were larger than a human’s was, their helmets were built to accommodate them. Their hands were much larger, with more slender, leaf-like fingers. Their gloves were adapted and fit perfectly. Instead of the familiar silver color, their S.P.D. badges were green, as were their blasters.
“Officer Carson?” the Red Ranger spoke, in a serious tone that reinforced the sense of tension.
“That’s me,” Bridge spoke up.
“We can’t guarantee the safety of this location for very long. Let’s move out!”
The Red Ranger sprinted back through the doors and into the tall brush a few feet away. At that point, the Fernovian Blue Ranger grabbed Bridge’s arm and shuffled him out, following the Red Ranger’s path. The Pink Ranger grabbed Sophie, as the Yellow Ranger scooped Murphy into her arms and followed. As the Green Fernovian Ranger grabbed Quinn by the arm, he saw Deuce standing behind him.
“What is that?” he asked.
“It’s S.P.D.’s new patrol robot,” Quinn responded. “Don’t worry. He’ll follow.”
Quinn looked back at Deuce.
“Stay close to me. Don’t stop until I do,” Quinn commanded.
“Understood,” Deuce responded, mechanically.
The Fernovian Green Ranger dashed through the doors, with Quinn clutched at his side, trying to keep up with his speed. Quinn glanced back briefly and saw Deuce was keeping pace with them. The last thing they needed was to lose this robot. Seconds later, they had caught up to the rest of the team, which herded them onto the Fernovian Academy grounds. The group stopped, as the Red Ranger grabbed his morpher, activating it.
“We’re in! Close the shield!”
The Fernovian S.P.D. Rangers watched as the invisible shielding activated. Only a simple shimmer alerted them to it being active. Bridge & Quinn took a few moments to catch their breaths. Bridge looked back at the Fernovians.
“Was all that really necessary?” Bridge asked. “We still have to go back for our belongings.”
At that moment, the group saw the shuttlecraft explode in the distance.
“It was necessary,” the Red Ranger stated.
“No kidding,” Quinn spoke, under his breath.
“I guess we won’t be leaving anytime soon,” Sophie said.
“Come. We will debrief you,” the Red Ranger stated, before turning and heading into the Fernovian S.P.D. Base.
The other Fernovian Rangers followed closely behind him, along with Sophie, Deuce and Murphy. Quinn was right behind them, when he noticed Bridge still staring off in the direction of the smoking wreckage of the shuttle.
“Bridge?”
“My favorite pair of gloves were in there.”
Quinn sighed, as he walked over and grabbed Bridge around the shoulder, seeing his pouting lips. He guided Bridge back towards the Base.
==========
Back on Earth, Commander Kat Manx was studying the monitor in front of her. You could hear a pin drop in her office, as she looked over the schematics on the screen in front of her. What she had learned was that the Delta X Series was the latest and possibly greatest technology to be created for S.P.D.. But, like all great things, they had to come at a great price. She hadn’t found any weaknesses beyond the communications problem which Dr. Jensen had fixed. There had to be more, she thought, as her door chime sounded.
“Come in,” Kat said, flatly.
She looked over to see Pryce Jensen coming towards her.
“What’s up?” she asked.
“X-Squad apparently,” he said as he peeked at her monitor. “Find the trap in the trojan horse yet?”
Kat looked up into his eyes, seeing his sarcastic look. Her eyes narrowed on him, showing him her annoyance.
“Is there some reason you’ve come to torment me today, Pryce?”
“No warfare planned for this visit. I promise,” Pryce said, as he held his arms up in surrender.
Kat couldn’t help but notice the similarities between the two of them. If this were a year ago, she would be talking to Doggie Cruger the exact same way. Pryce even resembled her in his attire. She noticed him wearing black pants and an untucked white dress shirt, underneath a black sweater vest, with his S.P.D. insignia pin over his left breast.
“So what did you come for?”
“Well, I know you’ve got questions about the Delta X project and I think I have a solution,” he explained.
“What’s that?”
Kat watched Pryce pull a postcard sized envelope from his pocket. He handed it to Kat.
“I got this a few days ago. Given my busy schedule, I wasn’t going to attend, but in light of these new developments, I thought it might be useful if I did,” Pryce said, as Kat opened the envelope, pulling out the invitation inside.
“This is a fundraiser for Vanguard X. It’s tonight,” Kat said, curiously.
“It’s supposed to help raise funds for a new research facility. It’s being held by some local businessman. But, I just heard Artim Grace is gonna be there,” Pryce said.
“The chairman of Vanguard X? Why haven’t I heard about this?”
“You’ve pretty much dropped off their map since becoming Commander. I think they heard about your promotion and deleted you from the Science Association’s mailing list,” Pryce explained.
“Talking to Artim Grace might help with my questions,” Kat said, as she stood up from her desk, pondering the possibilities. She glanced back at the invitation. “This is being held at the home of Barrett Van Tigue. That’s interesting.”
“Why’s that?” Pryce asked, curiously.
“He’s just not much of a scientific mind. That’s all. He gives to a lot of local charities, though.”
“Makes sense to me,” Pryce said.
“Yeah,” Kat said, as her mind was moving almost faster than she could reason. “I have to attend this thing.”
“You’re welcome to come...as my date,” Pryce said, with a twinkle in his eye.
“Dream on. I’m going, but there’s not gonna be any funny business,” Kat said, as she walked up to him, glad that she had opted to wear heels so she could look him in the eye.
“Just my luck. My first date since being back on Earth and I’m already getting shut down,” Pryce said, with a grin.
Kat leaned closer to his ear and whispered.
“Get used to it.”
She walked past him and out of the office, knowing there were only a few hours before the festivities were set to begin.
==========
On Andruss III, there weren’t many houses. In fact, there were no houses. This was a planet of movers. Given the steady political climate, no one ever had time to really plant roots there. Karovian Towers was the largest of a string of penthouse style living complexes. The entire top floor of the twenty-story building was reserved for Space Patrol Delta’s Supreme Commander. These days, Doggie Cruger spent very little time there. But, the quarters were being occupied by his wife, Isinia and Earth’s Red Ranger, Sky Tate. It was only a few blocks from the Galactic Council Center making it the perfect accommodation.
As Sky exited his personal quarters, he nodded at the two guards in the hallway. Guards had become a permanent fixture around him. Luckily, he wasn’t a flight risk or considered dangerous, or they might not have been just in the hallway. Sky walked a few feet across the hall and hit the door chime to the main quarters on the floor. Seconds passed before the doors slid open and he walked in.
Sky found Isinia Cruger seated at the head of the table in the dining area, glancing down at a collection of LCD data pads. Sky counted a dozen, as he came closer to her.
“Am I interrupting?”
“Just going over strategy for the hearing. Join me,” Isinia said, with a tired smile.
“What have you come up with?” Sky asked.
“Well, I’ve been reading the statements from the Council over and over, trying to make sure I have our bases covered. I’m certain that Advocate Grutton is going to try to paint you and S.P.D. Earth as being some sort of rogue entity that doesn’t go by the rules. He’s going to try to discredit you, ignoring Omallix and the threat he posed. He’s going to make it all about your faults and not about Omallix’s threat,” Isinia surmised.
“Isn’t it all about my faults?”
Isinia looked over at Sky’s somber face and sighed.
“I am the one accused of a crime,” Sky added.
“I know. But, these were extraordinary circumstances. Your direct superior was dead and as far as anyone else knew, Omallix had killed Doggie. The S.P.D. handbook authorizes the use of force in extreme cases,” Isinia said.
“Still, it’s not the first time I messed up.”
“Your track record is nothing to be ashamed of. You grew as a person. We’re all the sum of our experiences. I’m a living example of that,” Isinia said, nodding. “I spent decades in Gruumm’s clutches. Never knowing if I would see my family again or if I would see sunlight again and look where I am now. Everything I experienced helped to make me the person I am now. I knew I had to turn the negatives into positives.”
“Negatives into positives, huh? I like the sound of that,” Sky said.
“You should. You’ve done the same thing. You accepted your past, your history, your brother. You’ve accepted your faults and worked to correct them. That’s what I want the Council to see,” Isinia said, as she patted Sky’s hand on the table.
Sky smiled at her.
“Thanks. You know, I had reservations when Cruger wanted you as my Advocate. I’m glad I corrected that too,” Sky said.
“So am I,” Isinia said.
==========
From the outside, the Fernovian Delta Command Base looked almost exactly like the one on Earth, except for it’s green tinting. Inside, however, things were much different. As the group of now-unmorphed Fernovian cadets led Earth’s S.P.D. team through the corridors of the base, Quinn couldn’t help but be intrigued by the design. As they walked on the ground floor, he noticed the hallway ceilings were non-existent. He glanced up, seeing all the way to the base’s ceiling. Several vines hung from there, all the way down to the bottom floor. That was how the cadets moved from one floor to the next. They turned a corner and walked into the two-story Command Center, as the group’s Red Ranger, Frane, was still explaining their situation.
“That’s when we lost our Commander,” he continued. “He was really the spirit that kept us strong. We’ve been struggling for so long.”
“Sounds like five months of one disaster after another,” Bridge said, somberly.
“Yes. And the bombings never seem to stop. We give them the payment they demand and things quiet down for a day or two, maybe a week. Then, they just start up again,” Frane explained.
The ground floor of the Command Center resembled the one on Earth, except that all of the work stations lined the back wall of the room. The main control console in the middle of the room was also a bit different. It was circular in design, but the middle was hollow. A large green vine hung from the second floor of the room, allowing for quick movement. The holographic monitor which was usually housed in the center of the main control console was embedded in the left wall for full-room access. Quinn liked the innovative look, designed to compliment the Fernovian lifestyle.
“We’re here to help with whatever you need,” Bridge told Frane. “But, we hope before we leave that this situation will be resolved.”
“I don’t even know how that’s possible…unless you have an army of reinforcements on the way,” the Blue Ranger, Melyk grunted. Quinn had observed him to be the moody one on the team.
It wasn’t surprising that none of the cadets were in good spirits. Their planet was under siege from unseen evil and they were left without any other leadership.
“Sometimes you don’t need an army to bring one down,” Bridge said. “Besides, we don’t know if we’re actually dealing with an army or not. Your reports said you’ve never seen these terrorists, except for one attack, right?”
“Yes,” the Yellow Ranger, Bretti spoke. “Melyk and I went to one of the ransom drop-off points and we heard rustling. I think one of them must have tripped.”
“We confronted them,” Melyk chimed in. “They were skilled fighters. They looked like you.”
“You mean they looked human?” Sophie asked.
Bretti nodded.
“They were dressed in dark clothing. They retreated into the brush after a few minutes of sparring,” she said.
“How many were there?” Bridge asked, curiously.
“Two. But, we heard other rustling nearby,” Melyk. “The rest of their crew must have left them behind.”
“Do you have footage of that attack?” Bridge asked.
“Yes,” Frane said, as he led Bridge and Sophie over to the holographic monitor. Melyk and Bretti followed.
Quinn noticed the silent Pink Ranger, Erial, seemed more down than the others. He watched her climb the center vine, heading into the upper level. He glanced at the others watching the projection. The Fernovian Green Ranger, Clestro headed over to the tracking station. He seemed almost as tough as the Red Ranger. He had offered to put a team together to check on the debris of the shuttle to see if anything was salvageable. Quinn saw him scanning that area, probably coming up with a plan of action to head back to the wreckage. Once he made sure that Deuce was secure and silent standing at the doorway, he glanced back to the upper level.
He pushed himself off the ground, using his genetic power and began gliding upwards. As he passed through the large circular hole in the ceiling, he saw Erial wasn’t working at all. She was leaning against the safety railing there, staring at a graphic of the detonators that were used to bomb the planet. Quinn glided over to the catwalk that surrounded the hole. He grabbed onto the railing and hopped over it. As his boots touched the metal catwalk, Erial heard them. She jumped a bit, surprised at his appearance. As Quinn moved closer he could see the tear stain on her gray cadet’s uniform.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m just so happy to see outsiders,” Erial said.
Quinn noticed she spoke softly, almost timidly. It wasn’t a trait seen often in active Rangers.
“I know it’s been tough. But, we are here to help,” Quinn said as he took up a position next to her, also leaning against the railing.
He glanced at the four control stations on the top level.
“I wish your shuttle hadn’t been hit,” Erial said.
“It’s okay. We weren’t in a hurry to leave.”
“I was,” Erial said, sadly.
“Excuse me?”
“I was planning on asking you all to take me with you,” Erial said.
Quinn watched her leafy fingers begin to shake.
“You want to leave?”
“I have to leave,” Erial revealed. “I can’t stand it anymore. The sounds of the explosions. Just when you quiet your nerves, it happens again. We’ve lost so much. Frane would probably never tell you this, but we’re all inexperienced. He and Clestro are the only A-Squad members on the team. The rest of us are C-Squad.”
“What happened to B-Squad?” Quinn asked.
“Two of them died in a bombing. The others all requested transfers off the planet.”
“I take it you have too?” Quinn guessed.
Erial bowed her head in shame.
“I hate to leave my home…I just can’t bear much more. They keep getting their ransom, but they won’t stop. The whole planet’s a hostage to them.”
“We’re here to help,” Quinn said. “You can’t give up.”
“Why not? Melyk’s ready to. He’s submitted his transfer request too,” Erial said, referring to the team’s Blue Ranger.
“Where I come from, we don’t give up,” Quinn said. “I never could.”
“Guteecha!” Erial snapped at him, in her native language.
“Rothay!” Quinn spoke back in Fernovian, catching her off-guard.
“You speak Fernovian?” Erial asked.
“I speak a lot of languages. Fernovian’s one of my favorites,” Quinn revealed. “I always wanted to visit. This is my first time.”
“It’s usually so beautiful,” Erial said.
“It still is,” Quinn said, confidently. He put a hand on her shoulder. “You just have to look deeper.”
==========
Back on Earth, Kat was once again in her office. This time, speaking with her superior. Cruger’s face filled her monitor’s screen. Kat had sat spellbound as Cruger told her the origins of the Delta X project.
“Commander Birdy?” Kat repeated the news.
“Yes. I contacted his old assistant. It’s true. Birdy was hoping to get the project off the ground just before Omallix struck on Earth. Those events, and of course his death, delayed things,” Cruger explained.
“I’m still surprised,” Kat said.
“Apparently he had more faith in us than he let on,” Cruger said. “There’s still more to be done, though. Have you heard from Carson’s team?”
“Not yet. They should have landed on Fernovia by now,” Kat responded.
“Let me know once you hear from them,” Cruger ordered.
“Of course. In the meantime, I’m hoping to get a few answers about X-Squad from the source,” Kat said. “There’s a Vanguard X fundraiser this evening. Artim Grace will be there.”
“And so will you?”
“You know me too well,” Kat said, with a grin.
“Good luck,” Cruger said.
“Thank you, sir,” Kat said, as she signed off, just as her office door chime sounded. “Come in.”
The doors slid open and Kat was taken aback by the sight of Pryce Jensen in a formal suit. His hair was perfectly placed, as he tugged at his blazer.
“So, what do ya think?” he said, with a smile.
“I think you’re ready to party,” Kat said, as she stood up from her desk, fully revealing the black low-cut, spaghetti-strapped dress she was wearing.
“Oh…my,” Pryce muttered, as his jaw dropped.
Kat walked up to him and gently placed her hand under his chin, closing his mouth.
“No drooling on my floor,” Kat said, slyly.
She walked past him and the doors to the office slid open. She stood at the doorway and noticed he hadn’t moved from his spot. She turned her head towards him.
“You coming?”
“Right behind you,” Pryce said as he regained his senses. As he walked over to her, he noticed her dress wasn’t just cut low in the front. The spotted freckles that lined Kat’s face extended behind her and down her back. “So, how far down do they go?”
“You’ll never know,” Kat said, coyly, as she strolled down the corridor.
==========
Back on Fernovia, Bridge found himself trying to get settled. The common room that the Fernovians had set up for them outside of their quarters on the first floor didn’t have many amenities. He was becoming familiar with the food dispenser, tapping at the controls. He glanced at Sophie who was sitting at a nearby desk, leaning down, fiddling with Murphy’s circuitry.
“It may take me a while to program this thing to make toast,” Bridge called out to her.
“Bridge, you can go without toast for a few days, can’t you?” Sophie asked.
“I don’t want to find out,” Bridge said, giving her a panicked look.
Standing near the doorway, Deuce tilted his head curiously, watching Sophie work.
“What are you doing, Sophie?” he spoke, in his monotone voice.
“Well, I’m checking Murphy’s scanning systems to make sure they’re working properly. He hasn’t sniffed out any detonators on the Academy grounds, which is a good thing. I just want to make sure we didn’t miss anything, especially after what happened with the shuttle” Sophie explained.
“Why isn’t anyone checking my scanning systems?” Deuce wondered.
“The basics of your circuitry are pretty much the same as Murphy’s so if he’s working, you should be too,” Sophie said.
“Then why don’t you check my systems, instead of his?”
Sophie seemed to be at a loss. Bridge walked over.
“Deuce, you’re new and Murphy’s old. He needs more checking than you do,” Bridge said, as he patted the robot on the shoulder, until it turned its head to look at him. Bridge promptly moved his hand.
“Besides, we aren’t authorized to do much internal work on your systems,” Sophie said. “You’re still experimental.”
“But, you’ve given me a name,” Deuce said. “I am Deuce.”
“Right,” Bridge said, looking troubled. “I’m not sure how to put this. You’re a prototype, so scientists like Dr. Jensen are more qualified to take care of you than we are.”
“I see,” Deuce said simply, as he turned and walked back to his spot by the doorway.
“He’s like a robot kid when you think about it,” Bridge said. “Do you remember being like him?”
“No,” Sophie said quickly. “Don’t confuse robots and cyborgs, Carson! I’ve got an actual brain in my head, self-awareness, and emotion. It’s not exactly the same.”
“I know that,” Bridge said, as he waved his cybernetic arm. “I’m in the club too remember.”
Sophie smirked. “Murphy’s all done. He should be picking up detonators with no problem.”
“Did you figure out why Murphy didn’t detect the one near the shuttle?”
“We were shuffled out of there so quickly, he just didn’t have time to pick up on it,” Sophie said. “His systems are working perfectly.”
“We’ll be testing them out in no time,” Bridge said, as he thought about his plan to weed out the terrorists, as Sophie nodded along.
==========
The night sky above Newtech City was illuminated by the bright moon of this night. The evening darkness helped to bring out the colors inside Barrett Van Tigue’s mansion. As Kat and Pryce approached the front door, it seemed that every light in the place was on. There was definitely something interesting happening inside. Pryce’s finger approached the doorbell when Kat grabbed his arm.
“Remember, this isn’t a date,” Kat said.
“I know!” Pryce said, as he tapped the doorbell.
The doors opened and they were greeted by Van Tigue’s personal security, Lady Vishus. Wearing a black gown, with a white fur rabbit collar cradling her neck, Kat was unsettled upon seeing her. The woman’s hair was tied above her head and seemed to sprout from her skull in black and white tendrils.
“Welcome,” Vishus said, through her red painted lips. “Invitations, please.”
Pryce handed her his envelope and she examined it for only a second, before allowing their entrance. She closed the doors and guided them into the sitting room, which was occupied by over a dozen other guests, chatting amongst themselves. Kat spied their host, as Vishus waved to him.
“Mr. Van Tigue wishes to greet every guest personally,” she whispered into their ears, before walking off into the kitchen.
Kat smiled cordially, as she saw Barrett Van Tigue approaching. He wore a black suit, with a black dress shirt underneath. The only item of color in his outfit was a white tie, which matched his date, whom Kat saw on Barrett’s arm. She was a pretty girl, with her flowing dark hair and white dress.
“Good evening, I’m Barrett Van Tigue. Welcome to my home,” he said.
“Thank you,” Kat spoke up first, muting any greeting from Pryce. “I’m Doctor Kat Manx and this is Doctor Pryce Jensen. We’re with Space Patrol Delta.”
“So, you must be fans of Vanguard X, then,” Van Tigue said, with a grin.
“Definitely,” Pryce chimed in.
“Is that Artim Grace?” Kat said, as she looked off in the distance at the dark-skinned man sitting on the couch, mingling with two other guests.
“Good eye,” Barrett said. “I can introduce you.”
“We’ve met already,” Kat said. “But thank you.”
Kat subtly locked arms with Pryce and headed for Artim Grace. Pryce glanced back at Van Tigue.
“Lovely house you have,” he called out.
He saw Barrett give a thankful nod, as his date spoke for the first time.
“Enjoy the party,” Mia said, somberly.
“Are you all right, darling?” Barrett asked her.
“I just thought we might get a little time to talk. That’s all,” Mia said.
“Later, Mia. Right now, I have to play host,” Van Tigue said, as he was summoned by another guest, leaving Mia behind.
Nearby, Artim Grace rose from his seat upon seeing Kat Manx heading in his direction.
“Dr. Manx, it’s been ages,” Artim spoke, in his even tone.
Unlike many scientists, he spoke comfortably in any situation. That’s because Artim Grace wasn’t a scientist. The African American man was a figurehead. He handled the business of Vanguard X, while his scientists handled the actual production.
“Hello Mr. Grace. It’s been too long. This is Dr. Pryce Jensen,” Kat said.
“I’ve heard a lot about you Dr. Jensen,” Artim revealed.
“Same here,” Pryce said, as the two human men shook hands.
“We just received the Delta X Series at the base,” Kat said, looking for any signs of nervousness from him.
“I’m glad we could finally get them to you,” Artim said. “We’ve had those prototypes ready to go for a while now. Of course with all the trouble S.P.D. went through last year with the attacks, we didn’t think it was appropriate to send them along for testing.”
“Of course,” Pryce said, giving Kat a look of obviousness.
“Dr. Jiang’s in charge of the project on our end. He has an assembly line already reserved once we get the go ahead to mass produce them,” Artim revealed.
“Supreme Commander Birdy would have been proud,” Kat said, still fishing.
“Birdy?” Pryce said, looking confused.
“Yes,” Artim added, looking at Pryce. “You didn’t know Birdy sanctioned the project?”
“I wasn’t aware,” Pryce said, as he looked curiously at Kat.
“Well, we’re looking forward to the field testing,” Kat said, keeping her eyes on Artim.
“Keep me posted on the progress. I’m sure Dr. Jiang will want to be informed,” Artim said, with a smile.
“Of course,” Kat said, grinning.
==========
Upstairs, Syd peeked out into the hallway from the guest bedroom. She took a deep breath and stepped out into the hallway, fully dressed for her performance, but not concerned with that. She slowly walked towards Barrett’s office door. As she got closer she could see the staircase leading downstairs. The sound of chattering voices kept her on-guard. She took a few more steps and reached out her hand. As she felt the doorknob in her grasp, a hand grabbed her shoulder.
“Syren?”
Syd turned to see Mia Storm looking curiously at her.
“What are you doing?”
“I was looking for a mirror,” Syd said, covering quickly. “The one in the guest bedroom only showed me my hair.”
Mia smiled and pointed to the master suite.
“Here, you can use mine. It’s floor-length,” Mia said, as she opened the double doors to the large bedroom.
Syd admired the space. She glanced at the glass door that led out to a balcony. The two had their own private bathroom, which looked spacious from Syd’s view. Mia guided her over to the large mirror next to a massive closet, which she guessed also belonged to Mia.
Syd stared at her reflection, noticing that the dress indeed did fit perfectly.
“You look amazing,” Mia said.
“Thanks. I had a good shopper,” She said, winking at Mia.
“I knew it would be perfect. I like what you did with your hair too,” Mia commented.
Syd had straightened her hair completely, styling it so that it draped forward on her head, allowing some of it to partially cover the right side of her face.
“Thanks,” Syd said, as she noticed Mia didn’t appear very happy. “You okay?”
“Don’t mind me,” Mia said, waving Syd off. “I’m just thinking about Anna.”
“Any movement on that situation?”
“Yes, but not from my end. Mrs. Bradshaw called me. She said one of Anna’s friends was adopted. Anna seemed more optimistic to the idea after seeing her friend happy,” Mia explained.
“But, she knows you’re trying to get her back?”
“Of course. I even called her on that cellphone I gave her. She still wants to be with me. I just can’t get Barrett’s attention on it,” Mia said. “Trying to find time alone with him to talk is getting futile.”
“Keep trying, Mia. Once Barrett understands how short time is, he’ll help.”
“You sound like me…six months ago,” Mia said, with a sarcastic smile. “We better get downstairs. I think most of the guests have arrived.”
Syd nodded and headed out of the room and down the staircase, hearing a few excited whispers as she passed guests in Barrett’s rec room. She passed through the archway into the sitting room and all eyes appeared to be on her, as she made her way to the stage, nodding at Rogi on the piano. Barrett joined her, with a microphone.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I am so happy at the turnout this evening,” Barrett said. “Donations are already pouring in and I’m sure that Vanguard X appreciates all of them. So, enjoy the drinks and the food. My staff is here to serve your every need, including your musical ones. It’s my pleasure to introduce you to Syren Dean. Her voice is so soothing, you won’t be able to get it out of your head. I know I haven’t.”
The crowd applauded, as Barrett handed Syd the microphone. Rogi began to play her first tune on the piano and she looked out at the crowd, many of whom had gathered near the stage. As she looked out over the group, her eyes stopped on one guest. She saw Kat Manx slowly nod at her. Syd smiled.
==========
Inside the penthouse of Karovian Towers, Isinia unpacked her medication. She carefully unwrapped a large needle, as she placed the small medicinal fluid bottle on the table, near her bed. As she filled the needle, her keen hearing alerted her to footsteps nearby.
“Sky?” she said aloud.
“You heard me coming?” Sky wondered.
“Can’t always turn off the ears,” Isinia said, as she pinpointed the spot on her leg where she intended to inject herself.
“Do those hurt?” Sky asked.
“Not anymore. The first couple of times scared me to death,” Isinia revealed. “But, I guess we do what we have to do to protect our children.”
“They’re gonna be good kids,” Sky predicted.
After removing the empty syringe from her leg, Isinia chuckled.
“You think so?”
“Yeah. They’re gonna have you and Doggie raising them. They won’t have any choice,” Sky said, with a smile.
“No offense, but it’s been my experience that the children of officers are usually the most headstrong and disobedient,” Isinia said. “I doubt ours will be immune.”
“Well, speaking from my experience…you’re absolutely right.”
“It’s going to be difficult either way. Doggie’s so dedicated to his work,” Isinia said.
Sky nodded.
“Just like my dad.”
“I can’t help sensing the impending parallels. Not that I think anything bad will happen to my husband,” Isinia explained. “Still S.P.D. and all of you are his children already. He’s got a full house.”
“Trust me, he’ll make room for those two. Just like my dad did for Quinn, even though none of us knew about it,” Sky said, with a sigh.
“I’m glad you can talk about it like that,” Isinia said. “Have you and Quinn ever…”
“Talked about my dad? No. But, once this hearing is over, I’m going to make sure we do. Life is way too short. We’ve come to an understanding, but it’s been pretty much non-verbal.”
“You have to start somewhere,” Isinia said.
“That’s right,” Sky said as he headed out. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Isinia nodded.
“Good night, Sky.”
==========
As Syren Dean’s song came to an end, the mingling at the party continued. She nodded to Rogi, who had already begun playing some generic tunes on the piano to appease the ears of their audience, while she took a break. Syren stepped off of the stage and made her way through the crowd, accepting compliments from some guests. As she made her way to the bar, she appeared to be looking for someone. She glanced into the rec room and saw her target heading towards the bathroom. Syd walked quickly over to her, purposely bumping into the taller woman.
“I’m so sorry,” Syd said.
Kat looked over at her and paused for just a moment.
“Did you need to go in?” she asked, pointing into the bathroom.
“No. I can wait my turn,” Syd said with a smile, as Kat slipped inside.
Syd waited until she saw no one looking in her direction and ducked inside the bathroom. She closed the door behind her, locking it. She walked over to Kat, standing at the sink.
“That Syren Dean is quite a singer!” Kat said.
“Why thank you,” Syd said, with a smile.
Kat opened her small purse and pulled out a scanning device, which she waved across the room. She shook her head at Syd.
“It’s safe to talk,” Kat confirmed. “How are things going?”
“Slow,” Syd said. “Barrett’s keeping his nose clean, from what I can tell.”
“Doggie told me your last report was pretty bare,” Kat said. “You have to keep trying. We’ve been hearing chatter from several sources on the east side of Newtech City that Van Tigue is planning something big. Judging by his sudden interest in science, I’m guessing he wants to keep his ears open for any information about Space Patrol Delta.”
“I agree,” Syd said.
“All right. We can’t stay in here long. We don’t want to raise suspicions,” Kat said, as she repacked her purse and headed for the doors.
“Kat?”
“Yeah, Syd.”
“How’s Sky doing? I heard his hearing’s starting soon.”
“He’s okay,” Kat said, with a nod, before slipping out of the room while no one was watching.
As she made her way back to the sitting area, she spotted Pryce getting another drink from the bar, as he chatted happily with Barrett Van Tigue. Seconds later, Syd grazed her shoulder in passing. She leaned over to Kat.
“Looks like you’ve got your own investigating to do,” Syd whispered.
Kat stared back at Pryce, who couldn’t see her. She frowned.
==========
“Isinia?” Cruger called out as he entered the penthouse.
“Well, hello stranger,” Isinia said, as she emerged from the bedroom, hugging her husband. “You’re home?”
“Yes, for the night.” Cruger nodded. “How are preparations going for the hearing?”
“As well as can be expected,” Isinia said. “I’ll be ready.”
“Good,” Cruger said, as he stroked her cheek. “How’s Sky?”
“I think Sky is going to be okay,” Isinia said. “It’s taken him a long time to get to where he is. This hearing isn’t a good thing for his career, but it’s allowing him to be a little more introspective, I think.”
Cruger nodded along, as his hands rubbed her belly.
“And how are the pups?” he asked, going down his mental checklist.
“They are perfect, I’m sure,” Isinia said.
“What about us? How are we?” Cruger said, as he glanced down into his wife’s eyes.
“We’re good,” Isinia said, as she embraced her husband. “We’re good.”
Cruger glanced out the windows at the bright night of Andruss III. It was approaching midnight there, but the sun was as bright as ever. It gave him hope that the futures of those he cared for would be bright and that the troubles that clouded his mind were unwarranted and completely safe.
==========
As the guests began to disperse at Barrett’s house, Syd found herself in the rec room, near the staircase. She had been looking for an opportunity to slip up the stairs and sneak into Barrett’s office, but none had come up. Even now, she couldn’t make her move with Rogi chatting her ear off.
“…and that was when I told her that I wasn’t some kind of can opener!” he said, with a chuckle. “She’d clearly had too much to drink. I’ll have you know I never even thought of touching the stuff since I’ve been here.”
“That’s great Rogi. It’s getting late,” she said.
“Yes. I should be going. Can I give you a ride back to the lounge? It’s on my way.”
“No, thanks. I drove my car.”
“Of course,” Rogi said, as he quickly bowed. “Good night, Syren.”
“Good night.”
She watched Lady Vishus herding him out with the other guests and she saw a clear path to her destination. She slowly made her way up the staircase and headed for Barrett’s office, until she saw it was off-limits. The door was ajar. She could hear Mia’s voice talking tensely. It didn’t take much effort to realize who she was talking to.
“You don’t understand. Anna could be gone forever!”
“Mia, don’t get yourself all worked up. That’s not going to help Anna,” Barrett responded.
“Neither are you, apparently!”
“It’s not like that. I adore Anna. You know that. Things are just so busy around here and some of my business deals are getting complicated. They need my full attention,” Barrett explained. “Besides, the lawyer I hired for you is working on Anna’s case. I’m sure he can get this adoption thing postponed.”
“I hope you’re right,” Mia said, as Syd could hear her on the verge of tears. “If not, I may never see my daughter again.”
Syd slowly backed away from the door, not realizing anyone else was around until she heard a familiar voice.
“Lose your way, señorita?”
Syd turned around to see Consuela emerging from her quarters at the end of the hallway. Syd watched her tightening the handkerchief she wrapped around her head.
“I was just on my way to change,” Syd said quietly.
“I see. Would you mind tying me?” Consuela asked as she turned around, showing Syd her white apron straps hanging loose.
“Sure,” Syd said.
“Did you enjoy the party?” Consuela asked, warmly.
“It was interesting. Everyone seemed to like the music.”
“Better than my own, I’m sure,” Consuela said with a light chuckle. “Gracias.”
She headed for the staircase, as Syd opened the door to the guest bedroom. Consuela turned back to her for a moment.
“Be careful, young one,” Consuela said, seriously. “This isn’t the place to be getting lost.”
Syd nodded and disappeared into the bedroom. With the door closed, she sighed, knowing what Consuela said was the truth.
==========
Inside the Fernovian Delta Command Base, Quinn found himself heading down towards the ground floor, with Erial. As she climbed down the large green vine, he simply descended, using his levitation powers. He kept pace with her speed.
“So do you feel any better?” Quinn asked, as they reached the ground floor.
“A little. I’m glad you’re all here,” Erial said. “But you haven’t changed my mind. So many of our people are fleeing. My own family left months ago. My mother begged me to go too.”
“But you didn’t,” Quinn said, as they began to stroll down the corridor. “Something in you knew you had to stay.”
“I’m not sure that something is there anymore,” Erial revealed.
Their walk was interrupted, as they heard running footsteps coming in their direction. They sped up, as Bridge and Sophie came trotting around the corner, followed by Frane and Melyk.
“What’s going on?” Quinn asked.
“Clestro and Bretti. They went out to check the wreckage of your shuttle,” Frane spoke tensely. “We’ve picked up bombings in that area. We missed the latest ransom drop.”
“I told them to take Murphy with them, but they didn’t,” Sophie said.
“We have to do something,” Quinn said.
“It’s time to put my plan into action,” Bridge said.
“Are we all going?” Erial asked, nervously.
“We could use all the help we can get,” Bridge said, knowing the Fernovian Green and Yellow Rangers might have already perished out there.
“I’ll get Murphy and Deuce,” Sophie said, as she ran off down the hallway.
“They never should have gone out there,” Melyk chimed in.
“Be quiet, Melyk,” Frane said. “I need you at your best. That goes for you too, Erial.”
The four males headed off, as Erial seemed stuck in her spot. Quinn looked back, sensing her fear.
“Your team needs you. Are you coming?” Quinn asked, as he reached a hand out to her.
As he felt her leafy digits in his palm, he walked off with her to catch up to the others, heading into a situation that he had never faced before. Quinn held tight to his own words of encouragement, knowing that if he showed his fear, he could fracture the confidence he had helped Erial conjure.
TO BE CONTINUED IN...
”Orders”
On Fernovia, the situation grows more desperate as the
combined forces of Fernovia and Earth’s SPD head into
a dangerous battle. Bridge appears to have the answer,
but will Deuce’s presence lead to even more trouble?
Kat prepares to testify before the Galactic Council.
Mia overhears a phone call to Barrett that could change
everything and is there a spy inside SPD Earth?