Power Wars: The Rising Force
by Emily

Chapter 2

"I cannot believe how much this place has changed," Kat commented quietly as she and Tommy walked slowly down one of the many tunnels, taking in the sites of their surroundings in awe. "It's only been five years! How could the technology have changed so much in just those couple of years?"

"Probably because they had a little bit of help," Tommy replied ruefully, thinking of the disk that Justin had told them about earlier. Kat nodded, smiling at him briefly before turning her attention back to the sites. The tunnels that they had traveled through all morning led on for miles. The tunnels connected at many different areas, causing some unfamiliar to them to get lost quite easily. Already, the two had gone the wrong way many times.

Now they were back on their right course, heading to the apartment that Justin lived in. Their morning visit had been cut short when Justin was called away to his duty. Kat and Tommy had spent the morning reminiscing about better days of the past, days when they could just hang out as teenagers.

Even now, they looked as if they had not aged a day since the battle. Actually, they had not. Both of them had been saved from aging because of their transformation into animals. Now, they looked like the teenagers they had been those five years ago.

Tommy looked over at Kat, a question forming in his mind. The question began to burn a hole in his thoughts, and he desperately wanted to ask. But he could not bring himself to do so. He was afraid that the question would only bring more misery to Kat, would remind her of all they had lost.

Kat sighed as she grabbed Tommy's arm, halting him in his tracks. She looked around the area and saw to her right an open room. She dragged Tommy into the open room, closing the door behind them. She looked around, and seeing the room covered in dust and cobwebs, was satisfied that they were alone.

"What is it?" she asked, sensing his need to ask a question. He looked at her in shock, surprised that she had been able to read his thoughts.

"How...?"

"Tommy, we went out for two and a half years. I was never able to read you completely, but I could tell when you wanted to tell me something." she explained, the hint of a smile appearing on her face.

In spite of himself, Tommy felt a smile forming on his own face. "I should've known better than to try to get something past you. The thing that I wanted to ask you was, did you....or do you...ever think of what would have happened if we had managed to save Kim?"

Silence filled the air between them as Kat's eyes widened at his question. Whatever she had been expected, it was not this. She took a deep breath, scrambled to gather her thoughts.

"I think about it all the time. I used to imagine that my imprisonment was nothing but a nightmare. I would pray that when I opened my eyes, I would be in my own bed. I would hope that I would wake up and Kim would be calling me, wanting a bunch of us to meet her down at the Youth Center. I dreamed of a future where every one of us was happy, where we could all take part in the good times and the bad times."

"Then I would wake up, laying by the corner of Zhane's cage, trapped in the form of the cat. Ki...Kanara would come down, throwing down bits of food at us, constantly taunting us. I would try reasoning with her, hoping to find a bit of Kim still in her. But all that was left as resentment, hatred, and evil. It was during those times that I could not even find a dream that could take me away from reality. It was during those times that I thought everything was lost."

Tommy looked at his one-time girlfriend in shock, not wanted to believe what she was telling him. Kat, who always had a kind word for everyone, who always tried to look at the good side of things, had been ready to give up. He watched as tears welled up in her crystal blue eyes.

He did not even take the time to think, for all he could do was act. He stepped forward and embraced her in a hug, trying to rid her of all of her pain. She reacted by wrapping her own arms around him and holding him close. They stayed there, doing nothing but silently holding onto each other. Kat gently pulled back, enough to put some space between them but still managing to stay in his embrace.

"What about you? Do you ever think about it?"

Tommy nodded. "All the time. I used to brood for hours, convincing myself that I could have done something. I should have freed Kim from the evil she was in. But I couldn't. I failed her. And I failed everyone else."

"Tommy, you didn't...."

"I know now that there was nothing I could have done. But I spent years thinking that there was. Instead of being trapped in the form of the bird with almost all of my friends dead and others that I thought were dead, I could have been raising a family. I could have had a wife, kids, a house. I could have been married to the woman that I love, with my friends calling all the time. I could have gone out with all of them. Jason, Kim, Billy, Trini, Zack...every single one of them. But that will never happen. I will never live in a development with all the rangers living close. Not now. Not ever."

Tommy fell silent, suddenly afraid that he had said too much. Kat only stared at him in understanding. She too had once had those dreams. But, like Tommy's, many had been shattered. But not all of them. At least, not yet.

"But Tommy, some of those dreams still can come true. You could find a place to live here."

He looked at her sharply. "But will I be able to be with all of my friends again? No. Will I be able to live in a house in a nice neighborhood? No. Will I be able to love again?"

His voice cracked at his last words. He looked away from Kat, not wanting her to see the tears that were welling up in his eyes. Instead, Kat gently lifted his chin up with her fingers, so they two were eye to eye.

"You will be able to find love again, Tommy." she whispered. "It hasn't deserved you. Not by a long shot. You just have to give it time."

Tommy looked in her eyes as she spoke. In them he saw something he had not seen in a long time. Years ago, I would have known what that meant. But it's just been too long. What does that mean. The answer hit him suddenly.

Love. She loves me. Still. And I love her.

"Kat..."

"Yes, Tommy?" she asked, her eyes questioning.

"Do you think we can have another chance? Together?"

Kat's blue eyes widened in shock. Joy flooded her senses as a smile came to her face. She once again threw her arms around him, this time pulling him into a joyous hug. He responded immediately, the years that had passed suddenly flying away. Tommy smiled, closing his eyes as he held Kat. It had been a long time since something had felt so right.

As he opened his eyes, his eyes strayed over to the clock. He jumped a foot in the air, releasing Kat as he stared at the time. She looked at him in confusion. Before she could open her mouth to ask, he motioned to the clock.

"Kat, we're fifteen minutes late!"

With that the two of them ran out the door, almost colliding with a few civilians as they ran out. They rushed down the tunnels, moving as fast as they could. They turned a corner and flew down the hall. Suddenly, Kat skidded to a halt, causing Tommy to crash into her. The two sprawled on the ground, shocked by the suddenness. Kat slowly sat up, checking for any bruises. She looked over at Tommy to ask if he needed any help and immediately started giggling. His dark hair, usually neat, was flying all over his face. Her laughing became infectious and soon the two were in a fit of laughter.

The door in front of them opened and Justin's head peeked out. He looked at the two on the ground in astonishment, shocked by their appearance. Two more heads appeared, those of Zhane and Karone. The three could only stare as Tommy and Kat laughed hysterically with each other, not moving from their places on the ground.

As their laughter slowly died down, Tommy and Kat looked over at their audience in semi-embarrassment. They stood up and moved to enter the room, only to be blocked by their shocked comrades. Seeing that they were not going to be let in without an explanation, Kat sighed.

"Tommy and I just...sorted out some differences, that's all," she said, ignoring the looks that Justin was giving them. Karone and Zhane nodded slightly as they backed away from the door. Soon, all five of them were situated around a medium-sized table that was in the room. Justin poured drinks for all of them before sitting down himself. Karone halted her conversation with Kat and looked over at Justin.

"So why did you have to talk to all of us."

"There's a matter that I have to discuss with all of you. And it's really important."

The other four exchanged glances of puzzlement and worry. Justin shook his head as he saw the looks they were giving each other. "It's not something bad, so don't worry about that. It's just something that I've been working on that I think all of us should look at together."

With that, Justin pushed his chair back and stood up. Only Tommy noticed the barely concealed excitement that flashed in Justin's eyes as he led them to his bedroom. As Justin entered the bedroom, he walked towards his closet. He opened the door and pushed his clothes to the sides. Tommy and Kat smiled at they looked at his apparel.

"Still have a thing for blue, huh Justin?" Kat asked, her accented voice hiding any pain she felt when reminiscing about days gone by. Justin turned away from his task and smiled at her, bits of the 12 year old boy showing through. Suddenly, a low hissing caused everyone, excluding Justin, to jump in alarm. He smiled at all of them.

"Don't worry. It does that all the time." As he finished his sentence, the back panel of the closet disappeared, revealing a narrow pathway that led into darkness. He started down the path but stopped when he realized no one was following him. He turned around, giving half smiles to his friends. "Are you coming?"

"We're right behind you, man," Tommy said, his authoritative voice coming through. One by one, they followed his through the entrance way. As the last one entered, the door hissed closer. They had not traveled far when the pathway began to lighten. As the lights appeared, pictures could be seen lining the walls. Every single picture, and article, had something to do with the power rangers. Pictures of rangers in action, posing, and speculations about their identity were all there. A flash of green caught the corner and Tommy's eyes and he stopped. There, on the wall before him, was a picture of the green ranger frozen in time. A tear blurred his vision as he saw the green ranger attacking people of long ago. Kat walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder, trying in vain to comfort him.

"Are you okay, Tommy?" she whispered. Tommy was silent for a moment as he stared at the newspaper clipping. He turned to smile at Kat, but his eyes were distracted.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Kat nodded, though she knew he was not fine. She let it go, though, knowing that was something he had to deal with on his own. The two ran to catch up with the others, who had gotten very far in such a short time. When they came to a second door Justin turned to look at all of them, a radiant smile on his face.

"Prepare to be amazed."

He opened the second door and everyone followed him in shock. Lights flashed from all over the room and high-tech equipment could be heard echoing through the area. The room was circular in shape and in the middle of the room, many control panels linked together to form a large circle. There was a small gap in the circle where a person could enter in.

Connected to the walls, clear cases held each of the uniforms used by the rangers. The cases started to the right of the door and ended on the other side. As the rangers walked across a small bridge, the control panels lit up. Then, the rangers saw it. In the middle of the circular panels, there stood a tube, much like the one that held Dimitria and Zordon. The only difference was this one was empty. There was no mentor waiting for them, ready to give information and instructions about their latest foe.

Justin looked over at his friends, his smile replaced by a look of uncertainty. "So, what do you guys think?"

"This is....this is incredible, Justin," Karone whispered as she looked around. "But why hasn't anyone found out about this?"

"I have a cloaking device of sorts around this entire area. If anybody runs a scan of the surrounding area, it just looks like an extension of my room. And if any officials seem to find it suspicious and they want to see my room, all I have to do is put a hologram up." Justin explained. The other four nodded in shock, still not used to all that they saw. Tommy walked over to Justin, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"What you have done here is awesome, man," Tommy whispered, smiling at him. "It shows me how much you've grown up since we were rangers."

Justin smiled at Tommy. "Thanks Tommy. That mean's a lot, coming from you."

Kat walked over to them, a smile crossing her own face as she saw the look of happiness that reflected off Justin's face, seemingly radiating across the room. "But why keep something this amazing a secret? I'm sure some of the people down here would love to see the technology that's stored here."

"I don't know," Justin admitted, staring down at his feet. "I just felt like this was something that they shouldn't see, ya know? Some place where I could be alone and think about the days before the attack. Back when I was a ranger. I know it sounds stupid, but I wanted this place to be special. Private, really."

"It's not stupid, Justin," Kat said, her voice soft. "It's nice to have some place where you can go to reminisce about the past. The past is part of who we are and we should never forget it, no matter how good or bad it is."

Kat hugged Justin, her own eyes filling with tears. As she hugged him, she was surprised by the strength that filled his now filled-out muscles. He really has grown up. Not only physically, but emotionally and mentally as well. I'm happy for him, but I just wish I could have watched him get older.

Zhane walked over to them, humming slightly off-tune, as if to warn them of his approach. Kat and Justin pulled apart, both suspiciously wiping their eyes. Zhane smirked at both of them, but did not comment. Instead, he asked Justin a question that had been bothering him since they had walked in.

"So, what's the name for this place, anyway?"

"I was thinking something along the lines of the Control Center. I think it fits."

The others nodded in agreement at the name, still looking around the awesome room. A flash of light caught Kat's eye, and she turned to find the source of the light. The massive tube that would have been used for Zordon or Dimitria shone down on all of them, casting the room in an eerie blue light. Kat walked over, mesmerized by the light.

"Kat, I don't think....." Tommy started to say as Kat reached out to lay a hand on the tube. Suddenly, when she was just inches away from touching it, blue light snaked out and wrapped around her wrist. Kat screamed in shock and horror as she was slowly pulled forward. As her arm started sliding into the tube, she swung around to look at the others. Pleading echoed in her eyes.

"Guys, help!" she screamed, her accent immensely thick because of her panic. The others ran over to help her but as they neared the tube, lights reached out and grabbed hold of them. One by one, the rangers were slowly pulled into the tubes. As she struggled to break free from the light, Karone glanced over at Justin in alarm.

"What's going on?" she cried. Justin shook his head in panic.

"I don't know! This isn't suppose to happen!"

With a final blast of light, the five were pulled into the tube. But what happened next surprised them completely. Instead of being pulled into some type of evil horror, they slowly traveled through space, as if they were in a giant bubble. Stars shone brightly around them as they went farther and farther away from their home. Tommy glanced over at Kat and was surprised to see her crying. He reached over and placed a questioning hand on her shoulder.

"It's so beautiful, Tommy." she whispered as stars and planets flew past. "It's so beautiful."

The fear they had held just moments ago was gone as they neared a small planet. Suddenly, darkness encased them, causing them to freeze in panic and fear. The darkness only lasted a few moments, though, and when it began to disappear they found themselves in a small but ornate room. It was not the grandiose of the room that caught their eye. It was instead the pictures of rangers that surrounded them. The pictures were from many rangers from all different worlds, their suits in every color imaginable. Kat reached forward to touch a picture of themselves, but pulled her hand back as she remember what they had just been through. Justin stared at the pictures and then turned to the others.

"Where are we?"

"On the planet of Aldaraan," announced a musical voice from behind. The five spun around quickly, each falling into defensive stances. The lady that had just spoken laughed at their reactions, her laugh like the tinkling of bells. "You have no need for that. You are quite safe here."

They slowly fell out of their stances as feelings of safety and security filled them. A slight smile crossed Zhane's face as he turned to the others. "She's right. It's safe here."

Tommy nodded and stepped forwards, taking his old place as leader of the team. "Why have you brought us here?"

"We need your help."

A chill filled the room as the lady uttered those words, for the rangers felt that it was an omen of some sorts of things to come. She motioned for them to follow her to a circular table. Cautiously, they followed her to the table and slowly sat down. Once they were situated, the lady followed suit.

"My world is in great danger, though many do not think so. The danger that it is in will not happen immediately, but our future will be decided by events that have spun out of our control. If you do not help us, this planet's entire existence is at stake." she explained, a glimmer of pleading echoing in her eyes.

"We want to help you, but we have to take care of our own people first. Besides," he added, "how can we help you? We don't have powers anymore. They were destroyed when...our planet fell."

"For the time being, your planet is safe. The evil that has controlled your world for so long as moved on, hoping to gain greater power. But my planet, and the entire universe, needs your help. You are one of the few hopes that is left," she pleaded, staring at all of them. Tommy glanced over at each of his friends, waiting for each of them to give him an answer. The briefest of movements was all he needed. When he had gotten all of their answers, he looked back over at the lady.

"We will help you. At least, we will do anything we can to keep you safe," he said. The lady smiled, giving the rangers a small smile.

"Thank you. If you ever need to contact me, my name is Leana Ortega, and I am a member of the Senate. We must act quickly, though, for the events that have been put into motion will affect the entire universe, even your planet. Since you have agreed to protect my planet and the universe, I will leave each of you with a gift, a token of our thanks."

A flash of light caused the Earthlings to jump. Before them, in the middle of the table, was a small box. A silver lock winked at them, as if the box wanted to jump out at them. Leana reached forward and took the box, standing up as she did. The others stood up, feeling as if they were compelled to do so. Leana walked up to Justin and opened the box. A flash of pure white light appeared above him, causing him with sparks of white.

"Justin Stewert, wise and curious. Your ability to use your knowledge of technology has brought hope to many people who thought their lives were over. Years ago, you were a beginner ranger who was trying to get used to the powers. Now, older and more self-confident, you will once again receive the honor. You will be Jedi White." The white light enveloped Justin, the light so pure and bright that the others had to shield their eyes. When the light disappeared, Justin wore the armor of the Jedi White. Instead of the usual spandex, armor covered his body. A long white robe was draped over his armor, covering most of it.

"Karone, brave and true, you have been dealt many challenges in your short life. But you were able to overcome every obstacle that has stood in your way and have become a key role in Earth's reconstruction. For everything that you have done, you receive the powers of Jedi Purple." Purple light enveloped Karone, much as it had for Justin. When the light had disappeared, she wore an outfit identical to Justin's, except hers was purple.

"Zhane, courageous and selfless, you have put your life on the line many times during your fight against evil. You have always been there to help bring a teammate up, no matter the consequences. You are given the powers of Jedi Black." Black light flashed and Zhane appeared in black armor.

"Kat, compassionate and pure, you have always been there for anyone in need. Your selflessness in hard times has proven your worthiness to be a ranger. For that, you receive the powers of Jedi Pink." Pink light enveloped her and when it disappeared, she was in the garb of Jedi Pink. Finally, Leana moved to the last ranger.

"Tommy, strong and determined. Your time as a ranger has brought you a number of tasks in which you have had to make difficult decisions. Your leadership has given you the confidence and the ability to take your team into battle. You are chosen as Jedi Red, the leader of the Jedi Rangers." Tommy smiled as red light covered him, filling him with the rush of power that had been missing for so long. The light disappeared and he found himself dressed as Jedi Red. One by one, the rangers took their helmets off and inspected their new armor. Justin pulled out a thin wand from his belt, frowning as he looked it over.

"Leana, what is this?"

A small smile covered her lips as she walked over to him. She pushed a small red button on the side of the wand and a stream of energy appeared. The energy was a pure white in color and it crackled with what seemed to be excitement. Justin looked at it in shock. "It is called a lightsaber. It is usually only used by those known as Jedi Knights, but in this case an exception has been made. But now, you must go. Things are changing rapidly in this universe and you must be ready. So be off with you."

The rangers nodded and each of them touched the coin that was in their belt. As they began to disappear, they heard her last words echoing.

"Is this not the time to say 'May the Power Protect You'?" For less than an instance, Leana changed into a much different form, one that was very familiar to all of them.

"Dimitria? Is that..." The rest of Justin's sentence was cut off as the rangers disappeared. Dimitria, or Leana Ortega, turned away and looked out the large window that overlooked the city.

"Good luck, my rangers. Good luck."

~*~

Billions of miles away, a Jedi Starship had just entered space. It started on its course to their final destination: the planet of Coruscant. While the pilots were plotting the exact destination of the ship, Obi-Wan walked down a long hallway, Anne directly behind him. He was taking her to her room, where she could do whatever she wanted. But as they traveled, in silence, down the long hallway, Obi-Wan could not get rid of the suspicion that something was wrong. Ever since I first touched her, I have felt some short of shadow draping her, almost protecting her from the Force. I can't figure out what it is! I have never encountered anything like this. If Master Qui-Gon was still here.....

"Obi-Wan?" asked a small voice, breaking him away from his thoughts. He turned around and looked at her, favoring her with just a touch of a smile. She bit her bottom lip slightly as she stared up at him, not letting her eyes meet his. "I was wondering how long it would take to get there."

"Probably a day, at the most if we travel at this pace the whole time." She nodded, still averting his eyes as she did. Though his face showed none of his emotions, he frowned inwardly. What is she hiding? It's as though she is completely uncomfortable here, even more so than she should be.

"Why are you doing this?"

The sudden question caught him by surprise, as did her sudden movement to look directly at him. His mind was blank for a split second before his thoughts came back to him.

"What?" he asked, trying to buy himself time to think. She sighed slightly and repeated the question.

"Why are you doing this? Taking me to the Jedi Master and all."

"So we can find out who Kanara really is and why she's chasing you across the entire universe. There has to be some reason why she was so determined to catch you, even though she knew the chance she could be taking. And, we have to know whether you are telling us the whole truth."

His answer seemed to satisfy her as she nodded her head in understanding. The two continued to walk in silence, not even looking at each other, until they reached her room. Obi-Wan typed in the code on the number pad and the door opened with a hiss. Anne turned to him and smiled.

"Thank you." She stopped speaking, though it was evident she wanted to say more. She bit her lower lip slightly and took a deep breath. "For doing this for me. For helping me and taking me to someone who can help me. You didn't have to..."

A slight gasp of pain escaped her lips. She clutched her side in pain. Her knees gave out on her and as she started to fall to the ground, Obi-Wan managed to reach out and catch her. For the first time, she looked him squarely in the eyes. Whether it was on purpose or by total accident, she didn't know. As their eyes met, Obi-Wan caught a glimpse of what the girl was hiding. The emotions in her eyes...they ranged from strength to fear to an ominous coldness. The coldness took him by surprise and he mentally told himself to tell that to the Jedi Masters. Slowly, Anne leaned forward until their lips were just inches apart. Suddenly, Anne wretched herself away from him, causing both of them to fall to the ground. She slowly stood up, her face a bright pink. Though she looked at him, she did not meet his eyes as she had before.

"I'm sorry," she stammered, inching towards the room. "I don't know what came over me. But I have to go. Now." She walked into the room and with one final glance to Obi-Wan, closed the door behind her. Obi-Wan slowly stood up, deeply disturbed by what he had seen. He walked away, not knowing that behind the door, purple eyes flashed in anger towards him.

"What was that?" Anne hissed, her lip curling up in a sneer. Her eyes flashed again, only this time her eyes stayed purple. A flash of purple consumed her and when it disappeared, she was clad in her usual black leather outfit. She stalked away from the door and to the window, her heeled boots pounding mercilessly on the ground. She glanced out the window, her hand clenching into a tight fist. "Where did that pain come from? And why did I let him get a glimpse into me?"

Sideous warned me about that. Jedi's can get a glimpse into you if they are able to maintain eye contact for a time. Even though I've been careful so far, I can't spoil everything now. Not when the plan is already in action.

"But where would that pain have come from? It's been years since I've felt anything like that!" She lifted her shirt up slightly, rubbing her hand slightly over the spot where the pain had been. She grimaced as her fingers ran over a deep scar. She looked at the scar and frowned, noticing that it was glowing a slight red in color. Her eyes glowed a deeper purple as she remembered who had given her that scar. Killing Tommy was one of the best things I've ever done. Even better than conquering the Earth. He would have given me so much trouble... But no matter. I've got more important things to worry about.

"Like what is going on?"

She sighed and closed her eyes, cupping her hands slightly as she did. In another flash of purple, a perfectly shaped crystal appeared in her hands. She opened her eyes and looked over it, searching it for any signs of weakness. Even though she had been using a great deal of power, she could find no weakness. Instead, the crystal was brimming with an increased amount of power. She did not know why her power was growing, but it excited her. Yet, at the same time, it frightened her because she had not control over it. She quickly shook the thought out of her mind and gripped the crystal tightly.

It is time to put the second phase into motion. To do that, we are going to have to make a stop. Since the ship was in perfect condition when we left, that means I get to play with it. She closed her eyes, giggling slightly to herself. She gripped the crystal tightly, exerting her power over parts of the ship. Suddenly, the lights above her shut off and the ship began to rock. As she felt the movements, she opened her eyes and smiled and the crystal disappeared. A flash of purple covered her, changing her back into the outfit of "Anne." Her eyes returned to brown, showing no signs of the power she had just shown. She ran to the door and opened it, looking around wildly. As she stepped out of her room, she saw Anakin just about to round the hall.

"Anakin!" she shouted. Anakin turned around and looked at her, suddenly being overcome by discomfort. For some reason, he just did not like her. He couldn't explain it that well. All he knew was that there was something very wrong with her. But he waited for her anyway. "What's going on?"

He shrugged and looked away, not wanting her to see the worry that masked his features. "I don't know. For some reason, the engines have started to fail. And they shouldn't have done that because we checked everything before we left. There is nothing that could have gone wrong!" Even though things seem to have gone wrong ever since we met you.

She bit her lower lip as she looked around in worry. "What should we do?"

"We'll go to the bridge, where Master Obi-Wan will tell us what's going on." Anne nodded and the two of them ran to the bridge. As they ran in, they saw Obi-Wan carefully going over a map in front of him. He briefly glanced up at them before returning his attention to the map.

Anakin walked over, glancing at the map. "Do you know what's wrong with the ship, Master?"

"No, we can't figure it out. It was in perfect condition when we left. Nothing should have gone wrong. So, in order to figure out what is wrong with the engines, we are going to take an unexpected stop. I just have to figure out the safest place to go."

Anakin's gaze briefly flickered to Anne, carefully taking into account every movement she made. Though she did look very uncomfortable standing by the doors of the bridge, a sense of power seemed to be radiating off of her. He watched as her eyes quickly glanced at everything on the bridge, as if she were memorizing everything she could about the ship. Suddenly, she looked his way and Anakin quickly turned his eyes back to the map. Even as he searched the map, he felt her eyes boring into his back. Anakin looked over the map, looking for any planet that they could land on.

"What about this one, Master?" he asked. Obi-Wan shook his head as he looked at the planet Anakin was pointing at.

"No, there isn't anyone on that planet that will help us. The Trade Federation owns it, or at least it did. And right now, the planet is most likely in turmoil because of the recent events. But the moon....there might be someone there who can help us. I have heard strange legends of a people there..." His voice trailed off as he fell into his thoughts. He walked over to the Captain and showed him the course they would take to get to their stop.

As Obi-Wan started to turn around to go back to the map, Anne quickly walked over to him. She looked at him nervously, as if she was afraid to even talk to him.

"Where are we going?" she asked at last. Obi-Wan pointed to a small moon on the map.

"We are going to a small moon called Endor." he said. She nodded, allowing herself to digest this information. She watched as Obi-Wan and the captain went to work preparing themselves for their landing. A cold smile crossed her lips as she remembered what Darth Sideous had told her about the small moon.

That moon is the perfect place to land! As far as I know, there is no one on that moon but the primitive Ewoks. They won't be able to fix this ship. Oooo, this is working just as we planned. It will take them so long to fix the ship that the stormtroopers will find us in no time. Her thoughts began to drift towards her own desires and ambition, so much so that she did not notice that Anakin was studying her carefully. And as he saw that smile cross her face, a chill went down his spine. The smile she had was, simply, one of evil. He watched in shock as Anne's eyes flashed a deep purple.

This is bad. Anakin thought. Whoever she is, she is going to trouble us. But I can't seem to get a feel for her. She seems to be blocked to the Force. It seems that even Obi-Wan is having trouble reading her. What are we going to do about her?

~*~

As the small ship neared Endor, Obi-Wan looked around, making sure they had all the supplies that they would need. He took a deep breathe, hoping that the legends he had heard about the moon were true. Popular belief said that there was only one species of creature that lived on the moon: the Ewoks, small bear-like creatures who lived in the giant forests of the moon. These primitive creatures did not have much of an ability in dealing with spacecrafts and they did not like strangers. They would be of no help.

But he had heard, from many people, that another species lived on the planet. They were a secretive, quiet species that many people overlooked or just forgot about after awhile. The name that had been given to them were the Erans. The only thing that he knew about them was that they were quite the opposite of the Ewoks, for they were very advanced and they were friendly creatures. The only problem was that he did not know where to find them.

We have to find them. If the legends are true, then they will be able to help us with our ship, Obi-Wan though as he finished packing an emergency supply bag. If the legends aren't true, then we're on our own. We would be able to fix the ship, but it would take a long time. Too long.

A sudden shifting in the Force caused Obi-Wan to turn around. There, in the doorway with his hand poised to knock, stood Anakin. Anakin looked at his Master in surprise, for he did not realize that Obi-Wan knew he was there. Obi-Wan took one look at Anakin's face and realized that the boy needed to talk. That he had something important to say.

"What is it Anakin?"

"There's something wrong." Anakin blurted out. Obi-Wan looked at the boy expectantly, waiting for him to tell the whole story. "That girl, Anne, doesn't seem to be who she says she is."

"I know. I have sensed it. But please, tell me what you have felt."

"It's really hard to explain. There's just a sense of....well, a sense of wrongness about her. Like she's hiding something." Obi-Wan nodded as Anakin talked. Anakin continued. "And that's not all, Master. I have noticed things about her that are wrong. When we were on the bridge, trying to find a place to land, I looked over at her to see her reaction to out problem. And the strangest thing happened. When she heard where we were landing, she smiled. And it wasn't a good smile. It was...well...it was...cold. Like she wanted it to happen."

Obi-Wan started pacing, drawing his thoughts slowly in. "I have known something was wrong with her from the very moment that I saw her. But whenever I try to figure out who she really is or what she is doing here, I feel as though she can block the Force out. I have come up with a few ideas, but I need more time." Obi-Wan glanced back over at his Padawan and noticed that Anakin had something else to say.

"What else did you see, Anakin?"

"After I had seen her smile, I glanced up at her eyes. I don't know why but they flashed a deep purple. I can't figure out what that means, but I knew that I had to tell you about it. Do you know what it means?"

"No, I don't my Padawan. But I am happy that you told me about it."

Their conversation was interrupted by a jerk of the ship as it landed. The two headed towards the door, taking the emergency supply bags with them. As they reached the door, Obi-Wan stopped suddenly and turned around.

"In the meantime, do not say anything that will make her suspicious." Obi-Wan said. "Right now, though, we have to find out what is wrong with the ship and get it fixed. The sooner that is done, the sooner we can take her to the Council."

With that, Obi-Wan turned around the left the room, Anakin close on his heels. As the two neared the exit, Anne met up with them. "The captain said that the three of us should go and try to find some help. He wants to stay here to keep an eye on the ship."

Obi-Wan nodded and the three of walked out the door and into the unknown. As the door closed behind them, the looked at their surroundings in shock. The had landed in the middle of a dense forest. The lush green trees towered over them, so the could barely, if at all, see the very tops. Vegetation was everywhere, making the dusty ground almost invisible. They looked around and spotted a small path that led deep into the forest. Plants covered part of the path, obscuring their view of where it led. Anakin looked around in shock, comparing the greenery to his hot and dusty planet back home

I can't believe how different it is here. I knew that I would be seeing many different planets during my training but I never imagined that a planet could be so green! This is the opposite of Tatoonie. At home, we lived off the few plants that we could find in the desert. Here, we could have feasts everyday! This planet isn't even like Naboo. Naboo had cities! I don't think any cities could be here. Anakin became so lost in his thoughts that he paid no attention to where he was going. In fact, he did not even notice how far ahead Obi-Wan and Anne had gotten. Suddenly, his foot got caught on a root on the path, causing him to stumble. His thoughts were broken as he hit the ground. He slowly stood up, shaking the dust off of himself when he noticed that his companions were gone. Anakin looked around in alarm as he strained his ears to hear them.

Oh no! Where are they? he though frantically as he started to run down the path. He hurried to catch up with them but skidded to a stop as the path before him split into three smaller paths. His panic increased as he looked from path to path, trying to figure out which to take. As he tried in vain to figure out which they had taken, Obi-Wan's words came back to him.

'The Force will always be with you Anakin, even if you don't know it is there. Feel the Force flowing through and use that to enhance your abilities. If you are able to do that, you are on the path to becoming a full Jedi.' Anakin took a deep breath, determined to calm himself. I can do this. I can use the Force to find them.

Anakin closed his eyes, relaxing all of his muscles as he did. He took another deep breathe, this time concentrating on the Force that surrounded him. As he concentrated, the Force slowly became known to him. Fragmented images poured through his mind, threatening to overwhelm his senses. He pushed back many that seemed irrelevant or pointless. He was just about ready to give up when a flash of brown caught his eye. There was Obi-Wan and Anne, minutes before, taking the path in the center. Relief flooded through him and he was just about to open his eyes when a flash of red exploded in his mind. Out of the red light came a startlingly clear image. Clad all in black, a man, no a machine, walked forwards, his breathe coming in mechanic gasps. In his hands a lightsaber glowed with bright red energy. As Anakin opened his eyes, the figure seemed to stare directly at him, almost laughing.

Anakin shook his head, trying to get rid of the image he had seen. But even as he ran down the center path, he could not get it out of his mind. A name kept floating around his head, as though it was something to be remembered. And every time he thought of it, the name sent chills of fear down his spine, even though he did not know why. Suddenly, he saw Anne and Obi-Wan not too far ahead of him. Obi-Wan glanced back briefly, giving Anakin a ghost of a smile as Anakin ran to catch up. But Anakin was too troubled to give a smile in return.

What did I just see? Was it something of the future? The past? What is so important about it? And why do I get the creeps every time I hear the name 'Darth Vader?'

~*~

Colored lights flashed in the Control Center, slowly disappearing to reveal the five rangers. Though questions galore floating through their minds, they had not time to ask them. Flashes of red and blue filled the room as the alarms buzzed. Tommy pulled of his helmet and covered his ears. He looked around, trying to find out why the alarms were going off.

"Justin, what's going on?" he shouted, trying to be heard of the din. Justin pulled his helmet off and ran over to the controls, frantically trying to stop the alarms. Even in the state of confusion, Tommy noticed how much like Billy Justin now was. A few seconds a the panels was all Justin needed to figure out the current situation. He didn't know what was wrong. He looked up at Tommy, confusion written on his face.

"I can't figure out why the alarms are going off! They're going suppose to do this if we're being attacked!" he yelled, turning back to the controls. As he tried to figure out what was wrong, Karone walked over, helmet under her arm.

"Maybe it's because of our new powers." she suggested. "It probably doesn't recognize the power source."

Justin nodded her suggestion, fiddling with the controls. Karone joined him, adeptly figuring out the nuances of the control panel. Soon, some of the alarms had started to shut off. But many were still ringing.

"Why are the alarms still ringing?" Justin frowned in confusion and a bit of frustration. "We put the new codes in for our power sources."

"What if someone is attacking Earth?" Zhane said suddenly, turning to look at the boy. "Maybe Kanara's back. Is there anything you can put on the he viewing globe, Justin?"

"I'm on it." Justin quickly turned on the viewing globe, adjusting it so they could see the picture clearly. Tommy dropped his helmet in shock as he saw the image. Standing on top of the ruins of Angel Grove, was none other than Rita Repulsa. Instead of the traditional brown robes she had worn, she wore a black dress intertwined with silver and red. Her staff was clutched in her hand as she shot bolts of energy of the people who had come out of the tunnels. The rangers watched in horror as Putties began to dig in the ground, searching for entrances to the tunnels. People ran from the villainess, only to be cut down by Goldar as he ran to attack. Tommy turned away from the viewing globe, his face set in grim determinations.

"Ready to test our new powers, guys?" he asked. When all of them nodded, he called out a phrase he had not said in a long time. "It's morphin time!"

"Jedi White!"

"Jedi Purple!"

"Jedi Black!"

"Jedi Pink!"

"Jedi Red!"

In the ruins of Angel Grove, Rita laughed as the people were attacked by Goldar and the Putties. The earth burned in the areas were her bolts had hit, causing more damage to the city. A satisfied smile crossed her lips, knowing that this planet was now hers.

"And there are no rangers who can try to stop me!"

"Think again, Rita!"

The sudden voice caused the villainess and her henchmen to freeze. Goldar, who had been ready to swing his sword at a little girl, froze in midstrike, too shocked too do anything. A flash of light hit him in the side, causing him to howl in pain. Out of nowhere, a figure dressed in a pink cape grabbed the little girl and ran her to safety. Anger filled Rita as five robed figures walked menacingly towards her.

"Putties, Goldar, come to me!" she screeched. They did as they were told, quickly falling into a line behind Rita. Rita turned her attention to the robed figures, hissing at them in rage. "You dare oppose me? Ruler of this planet?"

"You aren't the ruler of this planet. And you never will be!" With that the five tore off their robes, revealing the garb of power rangers. Rita paled slightly as she recognized the voice. Her hands clenched into fists, so tightly that her knuckles turned completely white. Red hot anger filled her as she stared at the rangers.

"You will not stop the plans I have made!" she screamed, rage giving her voice a harsh edge. She turned to Goldar and the Putties, the stone in her wand glowing a bright red. "Get them!"

The putties rushed forward, intent on tearing the rangers limb from limb. Goldar unsheathed his sword and walked forward, a cruel smile on his face. The rangers tensed up, waiting for the upcoming attack.

"Ready?" Jedi Red asked. The others nodded solemnly. "Let's do it then!"

The Putties ran forward, leaping at the rangers. Jedi Red stood before the rest of the rangers and sprang into a powerful tornado kick. Putties fell to the ground as the reached the blow. He fought through the Putties with a series of upper-cut punches and powerful side-kicks. The others followed his lead and went into action. Jedi Purple did a series of front flips, knocking Putties aside as she passed. When she had completed her final one, she knocked the closest putty down with a whip kick. Close behind her was Jedi Black and soon the two were fighting back to back. Jedi Pink and Jedi White drew Putties away from the main pack, taking them down when they were close enough.

But their heroics were not enough, for with every one Putty that fell, three more were ready to take its place. As Jedi Purple was knocked down, her lightsaber flew from its holder. She grabbed it swiftly and it ignited purple in color. The Putties were taken aback by the new weapon and Jedi Purple took advantage. She slashed forward, destroying the two Putties that were in front of her. The weapon seemed to give her a new wind, for she jumped into where Jedi Red was being pushed back by the Putties. When he saw her coming, he grabbed for his own lightsaber. It ignited, red in color. The others followed their lead and soon lightsabers of pink, blue, black, and white shone over the battlefield.

The rangers slashed and leaped, not even taking a moment to think as they battled with their new weapons. Each had a different way to use the lightsabers, though all were effecting. Jedi Purple used quick offenses against the putties, destroying any that were in her way. Jedi Pink opted to grip the lightsaber with both hands, and it gave her an advantage over the Putties that mercilessly attacked. Jedi Red used a series of slashes and kicks to knock away the putties that fought against him. Jedi Black and Jedi White fought side by side, their lightsabers in almost perfect unison with each other. Soon, the number of Putties decreased and disappeared. The rangers looked around, panting as they took in account the destruction that had occurred. Goldar and Rita stared at them, almost in shock. As the rangers started forward, Rita gripped her wand tightly in front of her.

"This isn't the end, rangers!" she screamed. "We'll be back!" She and Goldar disappeared, leaving only the rangers on the battlefield. The rangers gave a sigh of relief and turned to see if anyone had been seriously hurt by the attacks. The people could only stare at the rangers, expressions ranging from shock to relief to suspicion. The rangers quickly surveyed the scene and saw that nobody was hurt. With that, the rangers disappeared in streaks of light. As soon as the rangers disappeared, they left nothing but baffled people behind.

"Ready to go back?" he asked. The rangers nodded quickly, and Tommy nodded. "Back to base!" With those simple words, light surrounded the rangers, each light the same color as their ranger color. The lights covered each ranger, until the rangers disappeared from sight. As soon as the rangers disappeared, so did the lights, leaving nothing but baffled people behind.

~*~

As the rangers appeared once again the Control Center, all was silent. No alarms went off, not colored lights filled the room. The rangers signed in relief, demorphing as they did. When the armor that had surrounded them disappeared, the rangers slowly found places to sit.

"Does behind a ranger always tire you so much?" Karone asked as she tried to stifle a yawn. Kat shook her head, leaning heavily against the controls.

"Not usually. Usually we feel more energetic after the battle than we did before. I wonder why we feel so tired now?"

"Possibly because none of us have been on active duty for at least five years. Or maybe because the power source that we are getting our powers from is so powerful that it overloads our own body energies. Because of that, much of our energy during the battle is wasted and we don't have much left afterwards. Or maybe..."

"Woah, hold on their Justin," Tommy smiled. "You don't have to give us all the lecture. But while we're asking questions, how was it that Dimitria was able to pull us through to her planet? How did she ever know we were here?"

"Well, the time warp is based mostly on the one that she and Zordon used to transport their images to us. Maybe she was able to reverse the flow of the time warp and instead of sending us her image, she was able to pull our images to her. She was able to find us because the time warp that I set up is connected to an infinite number of areas around the galaxies. Since she knew we were on earth and since she knew that ranger technology once existed here, she could track us through traces of Zordon's time warp. So, when she found this time warp close to the spot where she and Zordon had once been, she probably knew that it had something to do with rangers."

As Justin concluded his mini-lecture, the others looked at him in shock. Zhane cleared his throat, shaking his head as he did.

"Wow. That's a mouthful. While I digest all of that information, I think it's time for a nice long nap. Call of if something happens!" As he turned to leave, the alarms started to blare. He spun around, a grin on his face. "Cute, guys. Very cute."

"We didn't do it, Zhane. Something else set if off."

Zhane sighed and sat down the ground, putting his head in his hands. Karone smiled as she walked past him, heading towards the viewing globe. She fiddled with it for a few seconds, making sure that it was on and that they would be able to view a clear picture. Her forehead wrinkled slightly as the viewing globe stayed black.

"Nothing is out there! Why would the alarms go off?" Karone exclaimed. Justin shrugged as he glanced at her briefly before turning his attention back to the controls. The rangers were so busy trying to figure out what was going on that they did not notice the figure that was slowly materializing in the warp tube. Suddenly, the alarms shut off as suddenly as they had started.

"I just don't get it! Why would the alarms just..." Karone's words died on her lips as she looked at the tube in front of her in shock. The others followed her gaze, turning to see what she was staring at. Only Zhane didn't look up, for he still had his head in his hands.

"Dulcea! What are you doing here?" Tommy cried as he looked up at the tube. Zhane's head shot up as he heard Dulcea's name. A smile of delight crossed his lips as he jumped up and walked towards the tube.

"What are you doing here, Dulcea?" Tommy asked. He and Zhane shared looks of surprise and excitement as they talked to their one-time friend. The others share a look of confusion before turning back to the lady in the tube. Her golden brown curly hair cascaded slightly past her shoulders, softening the sternness that seemed to be an eternal part of her features. Her brown eyes smiled at them, slightly glowing as though a fire burned deep in them. She wore a beaded band made completely of polished rocks, every color of the rainbow. She was clothed in a green leather bikini top and she wore a loincloth made of green leather and polished green rocks. In her right hand she held a long pole with a green jewel and owl feathers at the top.

Dulcea slowly glanced at each of the rangers, taking in their appearance. She smiled at them, though her smile seemed very strained. "I have come to give you guidance, young rangers." She looked over at Tommy. "I see there have been chances since I last saw you."

"Yeah, there have been," was all that he would say.

"I felt the pain of the spirit guides when a part of them died. The wolf howled, as if crying out to the world that her mate was gone forever. The ape beat it's breast, screaming out in it's own language the pain that if felt inside. The frog croaked its lonely notes, knowing that it would never see its child again. The bear still has hope, though each day it growls less. The falcon sang its song of worry, over the one that was trapped. And the crane...the crane screeched in pain, in misery, in heartbreak. A part of its own self was torn away and blackened. And still, each of them watches over you and all the rangers, hoping that you will defeat the evil that has come."

"Rangers, I am afraid that the news I bring is deeply troubling." The rangers looked at each other in worry, afraid of anything that could worry Dulcea. "Dark Spectre has kidnapped Zordon."

Chaos spread through the Control Center as each of the rangers digested the news differently. Zhane fell against a panel in shock, gripping it tightly so he would not fall to the ground. Tommy's face paled as he stared at Dulcea in disbelief. Kat's hand flew to her mouth, her eyes wide with fear. Justin could only stand there, not knowing what he should do. And Karone closed her eyes, shaking her head as she did. Tommy was the first to find his voice again and he looked hard at Dulcea.

"How?" he whispered. "Why?"

"Dark Spectre was able to trick Zordon into returning to his energy tube. Now, he is slowly draining Zordon's power and is using it to strengthen himself."

An eerie silence filled the room as each of the rangers tried to deal with the news they had just heard. Zordon had played a huge part in all of their lives and for this to happen to him... Tommy turned to the others, determination shining bright in his eyes.

"We have to go and find Zordon. We have to save him." he ordered. At first, the others just stared at him with blank faces, not knowing what to say. Then, much to his surprise, Kat slowly shook her head in disagreement. "Kat, we have to save him!"

"We also have our own planet to save, Tommy, as well as the people of Aldaraan," Kat said softly. She walked over to him and motioned to the Control Center as she talked. "Look at everything that our people have worked to fix. They have spent years trying to rebuild their lives from the evil of Kanara. Now, Rita is back to destroy what they have done. We just came back and we can't desert them now. And remember, we promise that we would help to save Aldaraan? There was a reason that Dimitria needed our help, Tommy. There's something coming that we won't be able to defeat by ourselves."

Tommy looked away, still unconvinced by her words. Kat signed and placed her hand gently on his shoulder. "Didn't you see them today, Tommy? The hope that shone in their eyes when they saw us? They need the us, Tommy, especially now. They need us just like we need them."

"But if it wasn't for Zordon, the people of this planet would have been killed years ago. The whole planet would have been destroyed the minute Rita came to town. We owe this to him to help him. I mean, he was like a father to most of us. We can't let him die like that!"

"We can't let our people die either," Kat pleaded. "Zordon has given us a lot, but our first priority and our first duty is to the people of Earth."

"But if Dark Spectre drains Zordon's powers, think of how powerful he could be! He could take all of us out in one instant. Don't you see, Kat? We have to help him! What are we going to do otherwise? Push him aside?"

Kat bit her lower lip and looked away from him. "For the time being...yes." Tommy turned to her, a deep anger glowing his eyes. He pushed her hand off his shoulder, glaring down at her.

"Push him aside? How could we ever do a thing like that, Kat," he said, spitting out her name as if it were a bad word. "If it wasn't for him, Rita and Zedd would probably still have you under their control. Can't you show him the gratitude that he deserves to go and save him?" He glared at Kat, daring her to disagree with him. But at that moment, something in her snapped. Anger that she had been holding in ever since that fateful day, five years ago, finally snapped.

"I am grateful Tommy and how dare you say that I'm not," she hissed, teeth clenched tightly. "I am very thankful for everything that Zordon did for me. But the people of Earth need us now more than ever! Some of them are just starting their lives. He's lived a long life, full of many good and happy memories. The people here need us. Do you want to take their lives away? Does the life of one man mean more than the lives of all the people on our planet?" As Tommy silently glared at her, her eyes started to soften. "You don't have to try to be the big hero this time, Tommy. We help our people first, then we go and help Zordon."

He threw up his arms in frustration and anger. "Zordon might be dead by then, Kat! Don't you get it? Ever since Rita first came, there has been constant attacks on the earth ever since then. The only time there weren't any attacks was when Kanara defeated and killed most of us. The attacks aren't going to stop anytime soon. They're never going to stop, until all evil is gone from the universe. This planet can wait. Zordon can't." As Kat opened her mouth to retort, Justin cut them off.

"I have an idea. Why don't two of us go and help Zordon while the rest of us stay here and protect Earth. I can adjust the new Zords so if we need them, we can call on all of them, instead of just three." Before Kat and Tommy could answer, Karone and Zhane nodded in agreement.

"Sounds like a good plan, Justin," Zhane said. "But who should stay here and who should go look for Zordon?"

"I'll go look for Zordon," Tommy announced before Justin could stay anything. He added, "As long as Kat doesn't come with me. She would probably complain about going to save him and would beg to come back.

"Cheap shot," Zhane muttered. Tommy turned to glare at him, but Kat cut off any retort that Tommy might have.

"Fine with me. I don't want you hanging around here, whining about staying to save our people." Kat snapped.

"You know, I don't know why I even considered giving you a second chance, Kat." Tommy spit out. "I thought that you would be more dependable to people who really cared for you. I thought you had a sense of loyalty about you."

Kat looked stricken for a moment, but recovered quickly. "At least I don't desert the millions of people who need me to help them. And you know what, Oliver, I never want to be with you, especially now that I found out how heartless you could be." As the two prepared to go at each with even more hurtful words, Zhane stepped between them.

"Well, since Tommy is going, I'll stay here. And since we need Justin to set up all of the Zords, why don't you go with him, Karone?" Zhane suggested. Karone nodded, looking nervously from Tommy to Kat. A sudden thought occurred to her and looked over at Justin in confusion.

"Justin? Um, just how are we going to get Zordon?"

He gave a slight smile and looked at the rangers. "That was the other surprise I was going to show you." He walked over to the back of the Control Center and touched a small button. To the astonishment of all the rangers, even Tommy and Kat, the back of the Control Center raised, revealing a ship that Zhane and Karone had thought to be long gone.

"The Astro Megaship!" Zhane whispered. "But how...why..."

"I don't really know how it got here," Justin admitted. "But when it did, I brought it down here and started working on it. Eventually, I got it all fixed up and hey, even Deca is back on it. She doesn't talk to me much, but I know she's there. But, since I have to stay here and work on everything, Karone will be driving her."

Karone looked at him in shock. "Me?" Justin nodded at her. A smile crossed her face as she ran over to Justin and hugged him tightly. She pulled away a moment later and looked at the ship.

"Wow." she whispered as she looked up at the ship she had once known so well. She turned to Tommy, a questioning smile on her face. "Are you ready?"

He nodded and turned to say goodbye to the others. "Yeah. By guys." he called before going into the ship. Karone ran over to Zhane, hugging him tightly.

"Be careful while I'm gone," she whispered in his ear. "Don't get hurt."

"You too." she said, returning her hug. She pulled away, a slight frown on her face as she stared into his eyes. Before he could say anything, she looked towards the other two and smiled.

"Good luck," she called and followed Tommy into the ship. The door closed behind her and the engines lit up, a stream of heat pouring from them. The remaining rangers watched in awe and a little sadness as the ship turned and blasted out of the opening in the ceiling. As it disappeared from view, Zhane noticed Kat turning away.

"Are you okay, Kat?" he asked softly. She nodded and walked away, the tears in her eyes saying something quite different.

Introduction and Prologue | Chapter 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Epilogue