From The Ashes
by Cheryl Roberts

Chapter 13

"I was in time after all ," Jamie declared happily, beaming up the woman he had always thought he had let down.

"Yes, you were, Jamie," 'Kimberly' replied, smiling at him with parental affection.

Her voice was so like the one Tommy heard in his head, it was almost enough to shake his convictions almost.

"He's good, I'll give him that," Kim snorted. "He's got Jamie but good hook, line and sinker."

"Your recovery means Jamie didn't fail," Tommy reminded her.

"You won't be able to get off a clear shot here, not with Jamie in the way. Damn! We'll have to try again later."

Fortunately, Jamie was too wrapped up in his joyous reunion to pay attention to Tommy's prolonged silence, and even if he had noticed, he would have dismissed as shock. Tommy took advantage of his son's distraction and drifted over to where Marg was reviewing the computer scans.

"Ask about the brainwave comparison," Kim instructed.

"Have you done another brainwave scan?" Tommy relayed.

"A preliminary one. The patterns are very unstable especially in the higher brain functions," the healer explained. "But that is not uncommon in someone just revived from suspension. Disorientation is a natural side effect, as is temporary memory loss. Baseline functions match, but we will do another series tomorrow."

"Mother, you are not going to believe who is here," Jamie was saying, and both Tommy and Kim cursed silently.

"Who?" 'Kimberly' asked brightly, following his gesture to where Tommy stood. There was absolutely no trace of recognition in her expression.

Jamie flashed her a puzzled frown. "Tommy. Don't you remember...?"

Tommy drifted over and silenced him with a hand on his arm and whispered in his ear, "Marg said disorientation and memory gaps are normal at this stage. She'll remember me on her own soon enough; let's not overload her right now."

While Kim didn't say anything, Tommy felt her amusement. He grumbled defensively, "So I laid it on a little thick. Norzod doesn't know me, right?"

"Right, and let's keep it that way. The less he knows, the better for us," Kim agreed.

"You are a friend of Jamie's?" Kimberly asked, frowning as she studied him, for all the world as if she was searching her memory. "From Earth?"

"Yes."

Before further conversation commenced, an alarm claxon sounded. The change that came over 'Kimberly' was astonishing. Gone was the vague, befuddled expression. She leaped off the bed, body tense and poised for action.

"Trouble," she stated, her voice ringing with authority.

"Old habits die hard," Tommy murmured under his breath.

"Take it easy, Mother," Jamie cautioned, trying to restrain the one-time Imbera.

"I am needed," she insisted.

"Jax and the Rangers can handle whatever it is," Jamie assured her. "You are retired."

"Jamie, why don't I go look into this for you," suggested Tommy, looking for an excuse to get away before further awkward questions could be asked. "You stay with your mother."

"All right, Tommy."

And he quickly departed.

"I don't like leaving Jamie alone with that fiend," Kim said.

"Neither do I, but I don't think he's in any danger yet. Norzod may have wanted Jamie out of the way, but right now, Jamie is proving to be his biggest asset. With Jamie so convinced Norzod's exactly who he says he is, are the Rangers likely to question him too closely?"

Long strides carried Tommy to the heart of the Command Center in record time. The Rangers and Jax were already gathered around the Viewing Globe. Within the orb flickered the image of the flagship of the fleet.

"What...?" Tommy began softly as he halted next to Vlar.

"Incoming transmission," the security chief whispered back.

The image shimmered and changed, focusing on a massive figure in grey battle armor and a scarlet cloak. The face was hidden behind a mirror-like visor. Anyone looking at this individual would only see his own reflection would see his own fear reflected back at him.

The message was brief.

"Surrender by the time we reach orbit, or the planet will be reduced to cinders and slag."

"How much time does that give us?" Tommy wondered.

"At sub-light, days. At supra-light, hours," Vlarn answered, his voice tight.

"They have demonstrated their hostile intent; we should take the battle to them," the Green Ranger recommended.

"The Megazord cannot handle a fleet of that size on its own," Zol cautioned.

"The satellite base's armaments will even the odds, but not at this range," Synn added.

"It would be better if we could stop them as far away from Threa as possible," Jax murmured.

"Jax, how many do you think you can handle at full power?" Brath asked.

Silence was his only answer.

All eyes turned to the un-tried Imbera. The White Ranger looked away, fists clenched at his sides, unable to face his friends and teammates. Long minutes ticked by before he spoke. His answer was a terse, "I don't know."

"What do you mean...?" Emd began, but Prist waved him to be quiet.

"I have the power but not the knowledge of how to use it," Jax confessed.

"Twyn wasn't able to finish the transfer before her mind was shut down," Tommy explained.

"We need the Imbera," Brath reiterated helplessly.

"Is there any other way to get you that knowledge?" Zol pursued. "What about the First Born? Could he transfer the knowledge to you?"

"He's newly matebonded as is Jax. It'd be too dangerous to both of them if they tried to link up right now," Tommy cautioned.

"They are?" Synn gasped.

"There will be time for explanations later," Vlar interjected.

"Perhaps you could transfer the powers back to the First Born instead," Prist suggested.

"If not Jamie, then what about me?"

Everyone turned towards the entrance to the chamber to find 'Kimberly', now garbed in an old suit of white battle armor, standing in the doorway.

"Where'd he get that?" Kim grumbled.

"The Great Imbera lives?" Brath choked out, clearly awed.

"My apologies; I could not keep her in the infirmary," Jamie added as he rushed up behind his mother.

"I bet he didn't try sitting on her," Kim snorted.

In his wake, Twyn arrived.

"I heard the alarms and had to come," she said by way of explanation.

"I want to help," the resurrected Imbera insisted.

"Once a Ranger, always a Ranger, eh?" Tommy said knowingly.

"I cannot perform the transfer; I do not know how," Jax admitted anguishedly.

"But I do," 'Kimberly' said.

"Mother, are you certain?" Jamie queried, concerned but eager to accept this solution to their dilemma. "Are you sufficiently recovered to be able to link with Jax?"

"That's it, Tommy!" Kim yelped. "Norzod is trying to get the Imbera powers. With them, he'd have no problem conquering Threa, Earth or any other planet he has his heart set on."

"And since Jax can't transfer them, he'll take control of Jax," Tommy reasoned, following her line of thought.

"We have to stop him now! They can't form that link!"

"We will; I promise, but Norzod's too close to Jamie. I don't want to accidently shoot our son. Let's see if he paces or something."

"I can do this, Jamie," 'Kimberly insisted. "Unless Twyn miraculously recovers or your bond stabilizes immediately, I am the only hope Jax has."

The Great Imbera's words were cold, sharp and hurtful. Twyn flinched at her callous reference to her injury, and even Jamie was taken aback.

'Kimberly' turned to face the Rangers, stepping away from her son's overprotective presence. "Please, let me help. These are Atler warships. I've faced them before. I know how the captains fight... how they think. You need me."

The moment 'Kimberly' moved, Tommy's hand dropped to his power blaster, surreptitiously easing it from its holster. He was only going to get one shot at this.

"C'mon, Norzod...." Kim urged, desperately wanting her arch-nemesis to give them the opening they needed.

However, 'Kimberly' approached Jax, standing right in front of him. She placed both her hands on his shoulders and stared him in the eyes.

"Jax, you know I am right," she insisted.

Around her, the other Rangers were nodding in agreement.

"JAX, DON'T LET HER FORGE THAT LINK!"

Tommy's head rang with Kim's cry; he knew she was frantically trying to contact their great-grandson. Whether she did or not, he couldn't know, but something made Jax pause, his body stiffening, and he drew away from 'Kimberly.'

"I do not know...." he began hesitantly.

"You have the power; I have the knowledge," The Great Imbera continued persuasively. "Together, we can obliterate the forces which threaten Threa."

"Now, Tommy!" Kim shrieked, and Tommy saw it the instant she did: Norzod was reaching up as if to press his fingers against Jax's temple.

"NO!" Tommy shouted, throwing himself toward Jax while firing his weapon. He shoved his descendant out of the way, and the blast burned into the petite body at close range.

"NO!" Jamie screamed as 'Kimberly' staggered back, her midsection smoking.

Vlar and Jax were the closest to Tommy and both restrained him as he fought to get off another shot.

"What have you done?" Jamie demanded, tears of rage and grief filling his eyes as he rushed forward to cradle his parent's body. He'd just seen his father murder his mother!

"That's not Kimberly," Tommy rasped as he fought with his captors. He looked frantically from one to the other. "Kim would never call for a slaughter like that. She'd try to find another way."

"Prist...." Brath snapped, wanting confirmation.

The Pink Ranger reached out with her mind and....

She collapsed, her body shuddering with intense cold.

"Prist!"

Jax let Tommy go and turned to his matebond.

"So dark... cold... evil...." Prist stammered as she clung to the White Ranger. She gazed up at him with fear-filled eyes. "Just like what I felt from Trin before she...."

"Is he...?" Tommy asked of Kim.

"I don't know; that armor is designed to withstand power blasts, but at such close range...."

They had their answer moments later.

"Look!" Twyn gasped. In her father's arms, the body of the Great Imbera crumbled to dust, and rising from the ashes was a swirling miasma of darkness. The amorphous cloud had no shape, but a pair of eyes glared furiously out of the blackness at Tommy.

"I do not know who you are, human, but I will not be bested by another of your kind," were the soul-chilling words.

"You're wrong, Norzod," Tommy challenged. "You're not going to get your hands on the Imbera powers."

"Perhaps not, but Threa will still be mine because there is nobody who can stop me!"

With a malevolent laugh, the black wave of energy rose into the air and streaked out of the chamber... out of the Command Center.

"Jax no questions. Link with me now!" Tommy ordered. He grabbed the neophyte Imbera's hand and placed it on his forehead. "Open your mind...."

Unlike the gentle flow when Kim had eased into his mind, she surged forth from him in a rush, flinging herself into their great-grandson's mind.

Tommy had expected to feel empty... closed off excluded from his link with Kim. However, he found himself in the midst of a fiery meld of himself, Kimberly and Jax. Kim was rattling off instructions to both him and the present Imbera. Jax, she sent sprinting out of the chamber; him, she had relaying orders to the others.

"Prime the guns on the zords and open the hangar roof doors," he commanded.

"Tommy, what is happening? Why are your eyes glowing?" Jamie asked, thoroughly lost in the maelstrom of rapid-fire events.

"Where is Jax going?" Vlar queried.

"Thomas James, Junior, do it! Now!" Tommy snapped.

"Mother?" Jamie stammered, recognizing the tone and the words, if not the voice issuing the orders. Suddenly, old reflexes kicked in, and he barked, "Whatever Tommy wants, do it. We shall get our answers later."

"Guns on line; batteries charging," Vlar said crisply, also falling into old habits.

"Hangar cameras on," Beys interjected.

"Hangar roof open," Twyn added.

The present team of Rangers were left standing, watching and reeling in amazement.

"Start powering up, Jax; open yourself to the universe."

One moment, Tommy felt energy rushing into him a fire sweeping through his body. The next, he was overwhelmed by a ravenous hunger; it was as if he hadn't eaten in weeks.

On screen, Jax burst into the zord hangar, his body enveloped in white energy.

Tommy shouted, "Fire all guns!"

Vlar obeyed, and Jamie explained, "Of course! He needs energy quickly. This will give him a boost until he can escape Threa's atmosphere. He does not dare fully power up until he is off planet."

The multicolored energy poured into Jax, who absorbed it greedily. The aura surrounding him grew in size and intensity, becoming blindingly white, until Jax was no longer visible.

"After Norzod!"

"Rangers, to your zords. He'll need the Megazord up there as back up."

The five teleported directly to the cockpits on Tommy's directive.

Tommy was full to bursting with energy... he felt himself flying without the benefit of a zord. The planet's surface fell away in the blink of an eye; before him loomed the velvet blackness of space, lit with pinpricks of starlight. Never had he felt so free. Never had he felt so wild. The fire within teetered on the brink of his control.

"The coordinates Vlar gave you, concentrate on them. Fix them in your mind. Reach out to them...."

Tommy felt himself expanding it was as if he was one with the cosmos. He felt a star die.

On the view screen, the pulsing orb of energy that was the Imbera exploded and took shape that of a giant avian. The fiery bird of prey emitted a keening cry that thundered through Tommy as he/they swept after their malevolent quarry. The chase led away from Threa and its sun towards the outer reaches of the solar system where the Atler Armada awaited.

To Tommy, it was as if he was at the controls of his Falcon Zord once again. Blood pounding... senses alive with the glory of flight... he was the Falcon, Winged Lord of the Skies.

"Stop him before he reaches the ships!"

With a burst of speed, the flaming bird streaked past its prey only to pull up in the void between Norzod and his minions.

"You won't escape me this time!" the gestalt Imbera declared determinedly.

"It matters not if you destroy me. Others will take up where I leave off. I and those of my ilk are as much a part of the natural order of the universe as you," Norzod retorted with bravado.

"You're toast, Norzod!"

Flame-like tongues of energy leaped from the open beak. The darkness that was Norzod sought to retreat; however, the Megazord arrived, Solar Saber at the ready. The blazing blade slashed out, cleaving through the heart of the evil miasma. Ripples of black waves radiated out from the point of contact.

"Contain him."

Massive wings fanned the star field, forcing the energy to coalesce into a swirling orb. Talons reached out to hold to crush tighter and tighter until there was nothing left.

Except the fleet.

With a cry that shook the heavens, the great bird turned tail to face the invading ships.

"Your leader is destroyed; take your lives and go. Now."

Sadly, predictably, the response was the flagship opening fire. The Imbera dove toward the phalanx of ships. One great wing sliced through the point vessel. Mercifully, the men inside died quickly, but their death cries would be remembered for years to come, haunting nightmares.

The firebird banked, ready to face its next foe when rose up that ravenous hunger once again.

"Need more...." growled the Imbera/Jax.

"No! No more!" Kim shouted. "Control it! Control the hunger! Give in to it, and Threa may die!"

While lasers lit the void around it, another battle raged within the Imbera a battle of wills between Jax/Kim/Tommy and the entity that they had become.

"Let the power go, Jax; let it go!" Kim urged.

Around them, the Imbera's devastating blow and total disregard for the energy bombarding it determined the course of the remaining ships. They veered off, scattering as they headed back out of the system. The Megazord gave chase, making sure none remained.

"Let it go, Jax. Let the power go. Return it to the stars for now."

"Rangers, stand by to retrieve Jax," Tommy relayed, feeling the energy his very life draining from him. He felt himself growing smaller becoming dimmer, colder, emptier. Jax and Kim began to fade from his mind. He was alone as he had not been since Kim first called to him.

When the last of Jax's powers left him, Tommy collapsed in a boneless heap on the floor, a last thought from Kimberly echoing in his mind.

"We got him. It's over at last."

Chapter 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Epilogue