Power Wars: The Rising Force
by Emily

Chapter 5

Anakin quietly stared out of the window of the Naboo ship, watching the stars slip past the ship in waves of light. Behind him, Obi-Wan was in a deep discussion with the beings that called themselves Power Rangers. Fragmented pieces of the conversation floated over to Anakin, giving him enough information to tell that the conversation becoming more heated than anyone had originally intended. He turned around, catching glimpses of each of their emotions. The one in purple, Karone as she called herself, looked over at her companion in red, worry and distress evident on her pretty face. Her companion, though, was oblivious to her looks and instead stared at Obi-Wan, his eyes boring into the Jedi. Obi-Wan simply listened to both of them with an emotionless face, though Anakin knew that Obi-Wan felt much more than we let on. Anakin stood up and trotted over to them, just in time to hear Obi-Wan's response to a previous question.

"...we do not have the time nor the fuel to get you all the way to the planet of KO-35 and then travel back to Coruscant." Obi-Wan drawled calmly, watching the conflicting emotions on both Karone and Tommy's faces. "What you are proposing borders on insane, not to mention dangerous and risky."

"Besides," Obi-Wan continued, "Anakin and I have to get back to the Jedi Council as soon as possible. They have to know the danger Kanara poses for the rest of the universe."

"But we have to get to KO-35!" Tommy exclaimed, a sense of panic of anger beginning to well up. "A friend if ours if being held there. If we don't get to him, he could die!"

"And if we do not get to the Council, many more people will die." Obi-Wan replied, almost as if it were a retort. Tommy simply shook his head in disgust, turning away from the Jedi in anger. An uncomfortable silence filled the room and Anakin almost felt the air become colder.

"But why did you stop here in the first place?" he asked, wanting to do anything to cut the tension in the room. "How did you know Kanara was here?"

His question was greeted with another moment of silence as Karone gently placed a hand on Tommy's shoulder. He looked at her, not wanting to face the Jedi again. She stared at him, a slight warning note in her eyes. Tommy sighed, recognizing the look from many of the female rangers he had worked with in the past. How all women seemed to have the same look of doom, he could never figure out. He glanced over at the Jedi and his apprentice, his anger fading slightly.

"Karone and I were on our way to KO-35 when I felt a familiar presence in the back of my mind. As we neared your ship, the nagging in my mind became greater and suddenly a picture of her flashed in my memory. I knew she was here. I could feel her in every part of my heart and mind and I knew I couldn't let her inflict more pain. I just couldn't."

Tommy closed his eyes, pushing back the pain that he felt as he remembered bits from his past. Even now, almost ten years since they had gone out, he could still feel her. A part of him still loved her.

"But how did you know she was here? What connection do you have with her?" Obi-Wan asked, knowing there was something that Tommy was not telling him.

Tommy took a deep breathe, pushing the pain even farther back. "Back before she turned, she and I used to go out. Even after we broke up, we remained pretty close. I could tell when she was hurting or in pain or if she was really excited about something. But when she turned, she put a spell on me. For some reason or another an unknown side-affect, one she didn't know about, was that I could feel her presence when she was near. I could tell when she was planning on using her powers to hurt another person. It doesn't always work if I'm too far away, but if I'm close enough I can tell."

Obi-Wan nodded slightly, carefully storing all of the information for further reference. He knew this would be important information that the Jedi Council would need to know if they were going to defeat the girl.

"I know that you can't take us to KO-35," Karone said hesitantly, taking a step towards Obi-Wan, "but can you take us anywhere near there that isn't too far out of your way? We did come out of our way to help you and we have lost some time due to that. If there's anyplace you can take us, we could be grateful."

Obi-Wan stared at her for a moment before quickly walking over to the main controls. Karone followed, looking over his shoulder as showed her the ship's course.

"This is the course we have been heading on since we left Endor," he explained, pointing to the blue course line. "As you can see, the course we are on now does not take us anywhere near KO-35, But," Obi-Wan pressed a button of the main control panel and the blue line turned towards a small planet before veering back on course, "if we can alter the course a bit, we may be able to drop you and your ship reasonably close to the planet."

Karone nodded, staring at the blue course. "Then that's the closest you can take us?" As Obi-Wan nodded, she smiled back at him.

"Thank you. Taking us closer to the planet helps us a lot."

She gave him once last smile before turning around and walking back towards Tommy. As she did, Anakin slipped quietly over to the window where Obi-Wan now stood.

"Master, why can't we take them to the planet?" he asked. Obi-Wan looked down at him, taking a few moments to answer.

"Because it will take us four extra days to get to Coruscant, four days that we do not have. I do want to help them, so I am getting them as close to the planet as I can. But we have our own destinies, Anakin. Our destinies do not lie with them," Obi-Wan explained, watching the boy carefully.

"Oh," was all Anakin could say as she glanced over at the two. A sudden thought came to his head, his eyes widening as he remembered their passenger in the medical bay. "I'll be right back, Master. I'm going to check on Floita."

"Anakin, wait a minute." Obi-Wan ordered, causing Anakin to freeze in his tracks. Rarely did Obi-Wan order anything, but when he did, Anakin listened. Anakin turned around and faced his Master. "Take Karone with you. I need to talk to Tommy for a moment."

Anakin, Tommy, and Karone all looked stunned for a moment but they quickly composed themselves. Karone followed Anakin out the door, giving Tommy and Obi-Wan one backwards look as she did. Karone followed him through the halls, marveling on how everything was so different from the Megaship.

"Where are we going, anyway?"

"I want you to meet someone," Anakin replied, halting in front of the medical bay doors. Karone, who was too busy studying the halls to pay attention, ran right into him.

"Oops, sorry about that," she apologized, giving him a slight smile. He grinned back. He pressed a series of numbers of the number pad and the door opened with a slight hiss.

The medical bay was dark, with only a single small lamp to provide light into the large room. Shadows lived in the corners of the room, giving an eerie feel to the room. A series of small metal cots lay before them, only one of them being used. A number of councils stood behind the cots, infrequently giving out soft noises. The one cot that was being used had a small girl on it. The cot and the girl were both enclosed in a glass case. Two cords stuck out of the case and were attached to a small device, which Karone assumed to be an oxygen device.

"What happened to her?" she asked softly, following Anakin to the device. "Why is she in that case?"

Anakin sighed, watching her vital signs closely. "We aren't really sure. We met her and her kind on a moon that we took an emergency stop on. When we got there, all of them were fine. But suddenly, this disease attacked their entire kind. We took her along so the Jedi Council can study her. We her in the case because we were not sure if traces of the disease will be left after she leaves."

Karone nodded, a slight frown on her face as she stared at the girl. There seemed to be a slight glow to her...

"Do you mind if I look at her?" she asked, turning to look at the surprised expression on Anakin's face. He nodded, hurrying over to the controls. Karone stepped forward as the glass case slowly lifted. Once the case was high enough, Karone placed her hands directly over the Eran's chest. Her hands began to glow white as she closed her eyes, falling deep into concentration. Anakin watched in fascination as the glow spread over the Eran, becoming brighter as the seconds ticked by. Suddenly, the glow disappeared and Karone stumbled back slightly. Anakin pressed a button of the control panel and the case slowly fell down to encase the girl. He walked over to Karone, studying her carefully.

"There is more to her disease than meets the eye," Karone whispered, leaning heavily against one the control panel. "It is not a natural disease. It was caused by a spell put on her."

Anakin's eyes widened in shock as he glanced back at the sleeping girl. "You mean...someone did this on purpose?" Realization hit him like a load of bricks as he caught the undertone in Karone's voice. "It was her, wasn't it? Kanara did this to them. She's the one who is behind this."

"I don't know how she did it, but she is the source of this disease. When I tested the girl, I could 'see' an aura of purple surrounding her. Kanara's magic is behind this illness."

"How were you able to do that?" Anakin asked. "How did you get powers like that?"

"I'm a sorceress," she replied, smiling at him. "It comes with the trade."

"But how did you get to be a sorceress? Where you born with the powers or did you learn how to use them?"

The smile disappeared from Karone's face as she realized that he was not going to let up on her easily. He has to know the truth, she thought firmly to herself. He has to know how easily evil can tempt him.

"I wasn't born with the power. I was born as a normal, happy child on the planet of KO-35. I spent my childhood trampling through the forest with my brother and his friend, pretending I was a power ranger on a huge adventure. But one day, that changed. I was kidnapped by a creature known as Darkonda and taken to a giant spaceship. I spent years on the ship being brainwashed by a being called Dark Spectre. Little by little, I forgot about my childhood until one day, I didn't remember it at all. All I could remember was what I had been told: my family had been murdered in cold blood by the power rangers. After that, I became obsessed with destroying them for what they had done to my family. I traveled through galaxies, attacking planets and searching for the power rangers. But I could never find them. So I took my anger out on the people of the planets. I destroyed homes, towns, and lives. During one of those raids, I found a purple crystal hidden in a small temple. I took it, not realizing the power that laid dormant in it. Soon, I returned to Dark Spectre."

"On the eve of my fifteenth birthday I was introduced to other villains. I was Astronema, Princess of Evil. I looked down at them, watching jealously play on their faces as they saw I was the favorite of Dark Spectre. And then, during the course of the 'party,' we found there was a spy in our midst. It was none other than the red space ranger. From the moment I laid eyes upon him, I wanted to destroy him. Dark Spectre knew that. And so, he sent me after him. The next time that I saw him, he had brought others with him. Four other rangers. After that I fought many battles with him, being defeated each time."

"Then, one day, I found out the truth about my childhood. The red ranger that I had fought against for so long was my brother. I refused to believe the truth and instead allied myself with a creature known as Lord Zedd. I wish now that I could turn back time and change my decision to ally with him. He knew that I held the Crystal of Shadow and he wanted to release it's powers. He kidnapped a girl by the name of Kimberly Anne Harte and gave her the crystal."

Karone took a deep breathe, blinking back tears. Her voice came out as a hoarse whisper as she continued. "I am the reason that Kanara came to power. All of the destruction and murder that she has caused is because of me."

Tears slowly flowed down her cheeks as she sank to the ground, all of the guilt that she had pushed to the back of her mind now coming out to face her. The resistance that she had built against the guilt and the pain broke. She looked at up Anakin, sorrow etched across her face.

Anakin walked over to her and knelt down besides her. "It is not your fault, Karone. You were being controlled by evil that had been forced into you for so many years. The crystal could have been found and used by anyone. You are not to blame."

A shaky smile crossed Karone's face as she looked up at him. "Thank you, Anakin, but I know in my heart that I am partly to blame. That is why I have worked so hard to correct my mistake. I have helped the people of Earth achieve things that they had only dreamed of. But thank you."

Suddenly, a sharp beep emitted from the communicator on Anakin's waist belt. Anakin and Karone jumped in shock, smiling at each other at their surprise. Anakin reached down and turned his communicator on. "Yes Master?"

"We are going to be arriving at the point in which our visitor will be leaving," Obi-Wan explained, his voice slightly fuzzy. "We will see them off on the bridge."

"Yes Master," Anakin replied as he shut his communicator off. Anakin ran one last check on Floita, to see if she had gotten worse. When he found that her signs had remained the same, he nodded in slight satisfaction. He and Karone left the room and quickly made their way back to the bridge, neither of them sure how much time they had until the rangers departure. As they walked onto the bridge the found that Tommy was in his full ranger gear, holding his helmet under his arm.

"I guess that means it's time to go, huh?" she asked, smiling at him. Tommy nodded. "How much time do we have until we leave?"

"Only a few minutes, actually," he admitted. "So you'd better hurry up."

Karone nodded and pulled out her morpher. "Jedi Purple!" In a flash of violet light, she appeared in the garb of the Jedi Ranger. She too pulled off her helmet, giving Obi-Wan and Anakin one last smile. "I guess this is it, huh?"

"This is where our paths will split." Obi-Wan said. "Good luck on your journey." Karone took a step forward and pulled the surprised Jedi into a tight hug.

"Good luck on your own journey," she said. Leaning close to him she whispered, "And good luck with Kanara. She is more powerful than I ever thought possible." She pulled away and gave the surprised Jedi a wink. She bent down and smiled at Anakin, her expression becoming very serious as she looked at him.

"Listen to me Anakin," she said quietly, so Obi-Wan and Tommy could not hear. "You are very wise for your age, but that will not prevent the darkness from coming after you. The dark side is tempting and seductive and will do everything in it can to pull you over. You must be strong and steadfast. Never give up on the light, even when times seem hopeless. Remember, we will never desert you. No matter where you are, there will be friends watching out for you."

Anakin nodded, not able to say anything as Karone pulled him into a fierce hug.

"You're a good kid, Anakin," she whispered. "Don't let anything change that."

As Karone let go of him and backed away, Anakin suddenly saw a flash of a black figure come back into his mind. He tried to brush it away as Karone and Tommy left the room to go to their ship but the image only got worse. Finally, as a picture of the rangers appeared on the bridge screen, he managed to push the image away.

Tommy turned towards them, smiling. "Good luck, man. And thank you."

Obi-Wan and Anakin watched on the screen as the rangers boarded their ship and turned the engines on. The ship left the docking room and rushed into space, heading away from the Jedi.

"I hope they don't run into any trouble," Anakin said as he watched the ship disappear into space. Obi-Wan only nodded as he turned away from the screen and walked over to the main controls.

~*~

Shadows loomed around him, cloaking him in their unknown midst. His black cape swayed slightly as he watched his ever-growing followers devoutly following his instructions, building up his powerful army. Even with the numbers of followers and warriors that he had, nobody knew what was coming. Nobody knew the evil that was slowly but surely pushing their way forward.

That is to say, almost nobody. The Jedi knew that evil was growing steadily, though they were not sure who was controlling it. The Sith Lord intended to keep it that way for a good while longer until he was ready to unveil himself to the universe. His plan was slowly falling into place, each part delicately laid out for perfection.

It had taken him many years to put his plan into place and now his hard work was finally paying off. He was now rising greatly in power. He held more power than the Jedi could imagine.

My plan is working almost exactly as I planned out, the Sith Lord thought to himself. After all, some things had to be...compromised. Plans don't always work exactly as they are laid out. I left a few options open for myself, just in case something new came along.

And something new did come along. I knew very little about the Power Rangers of Earth up until a few years ago. That is when she came to me. She had already destroyed those that many villains had failed at. She wanted more power and prestige. She had heard about me and desired the type of power that I had. She offered to ally herself with me, saying she could help me in many ways.

A slow, cruel smile crossed the face of the Sith as a dark flame lit in his eyes. "She is powerful, oh yes. Yet she is young, naive. She thinks that she has taking advantage of me as she prepares to double-cross me when the time comes. But I am ready for her. Only then will she will realize the true extent of my power."

He reached over and turned the transmitted pictures of his followers off. He slowly started pacing the room, his booted feet not making a sound as he trod across the room.

"The sorceress is unpredictable, though. She does things on a whim, not taking much time to think about the consequences. That does give her a bit of power over me. While I know what she plans to do, I do not know when or how. She is too wild with her planning, or lack there of. And yet she has helped me. She has told me of a new force coming into power while drawing attention away from me. She has been of some help, I will admit."

His soft but deliberate words seemed to disguise the evil that hid behind his black cloak. For years he had studied the Force, ever since his rejection to be trained. A sudden beeping broke him from his thoughts as a light on the transmitter began to blink red. He touched it once and instantly a three dimension picture jumped out of the transmitter.

"What's going on, Siddy? Brooding yet again about your plans?" Kanara said, her dark purple lips twisting into a smirk as she gazed at the Sith Lord. Darth Sideous raised an eyebrow slightly as he stared back at her, quietly taking into account every one of her words and actions.

"Planning," was his simple response as she fidgeted slightly with impatience. "Which I suggest you start doing."

"Been there, done that," she said off-hand rolling her eyes slightly at him. "Geez, have you ever thought about taking a break from all you're "planning" and just have fun for once in awhile. It makes things so much more enjoyable."

He said nothing to her, instead simply staring at her. She sighed in annoyance, but this time with a bit of awkwardness. She shrugged the feeling off, and instead pushed her most recent actions back into her mind.

"Besides, I have planned. In fact, not only have I planned but I've followed through with my plan. And had a hell of a lot of fun doing it."

Her unpredictability once again comes into play, Darth Sideous thought as he watched her fidget underneath his gaze. She consults no one and does what she feels.

He nodded slightly, indicating that she should continue. "Obviously, hiding in the midst of the Jedi just isn't going to do anything. That's been shown with many examples by the slow progress of your phases. When it comes down to it, it just isn't going to work. We have to hit he Jedi where it hurts."

"And where would that be?" he asked calmly, listening with interest in her plan.

"In their deepest thoughts, fears, worries blah blah blah," she said, rolling her eyes. "The usual drill. Isn't that what the Dark Side of the Force is all about? I thought you were supposed to be a Sith Lord. I'm surprised you didn't think about using their emotions against them, Siddy."

Again, a cold silence greeted her words. She rolled her eyes again at him, calling forth a deep sense of bravado as she stared the Sith Lord in the eyes.

"Anyway, to keep it short, we have to hit them where it hurts. With Obi-Wan, it's easy enough. He's afraid that he won't be able to life up to the greatness that was Qui-Gon Jinn. He doesn't think that he has the skill or the experience to train Anakin," she explained. "Stupid, but true."

"You're forgetting the young one, Anakin," he said. She sighed, glaring at him.

"I have not forgotten about him. I'm simply saving the best for last," she said, almost in a mocking tone. A spark of interest grew in Sideous as he caught a certain undertone in the sorceress' voice. "With Anakin, he fears many things. But the thing he fears most for is his mother. If something should happen to her, that fear he has will turn to anger. And if I've got it right, anger leads to hate. And hate leads to the Dark Side. If anything should happen to her, he will turn to the Dark Side."

As he watched her explain her plan, Darth Sideous found himself rethinking his thoughts about her planning. She planned much more than she had let on during their meetings. She had great potential to grow into a very powerful being. Very powerful indeed. He would have to watch her carefully.

"And what could happen to his mother that would lead him to the Dark Side?" he asked, waiting for her explanation.

A cruel, cold smirk crossed her face as she stared at the Sith Lord. "Easy. If I killed her."

A flash of purple engulfed the girl as she spike. When the flash disappeared, Darth Sideous was surprised to see that her eyes were glowing a noticeably darker shade of purple. And, she seemed to be moving closer to evil as time passed. "He won't notice her disappearance right away. I've covered my tracks too well. But he will find out when the time is right. And then..."

She let her sentence trail off, allowing him to digest all of the information. He nodded slightly at her, already working her actions into his plans.

"That will hurt the boy. And it will possibly lead to his temptation to the Dark Side," he admitted. "But what about the Jedi Knight? He has years of experience with the Force behind him. He will not be as easily swayed."

"Don't worry about the Jedi Knight," she whispered. "I'll take care of him."

~*~

Deep in the tunnels of Earth Justin sat in front of a beeping computer, frantically searching through the files that were stored in the Control Center. With every passing minute, hope began to dwindle and fade. He knew that the longer it took to find a cure for Zhane, the more likely the chance that Zhane would die. So far, every lead Justin had found had come up inconclusive. It seemed as if nothing could be found about rangers slowly losing their powers. Suddenly, a passage caught his eye as he scrolled down the page.

Zhane almost died today. And it's my fault. If I had trained more or if I had been paying more attention, I could have deflected the bolt that they shot at me. But I didn't. And because of that, Zhane took the blow for me. He was willing to die for me. And now, I have to live with the knowledge that I almost let my best friend die.

I have put him in a hidden chamber on the Megaship so that no one will disturb his slumber. That way he will heal faster. I hope. He has to live. He's the only person that I have left in my life; he's like a brother to me! Ever since the two of us were chosen to be rangers, we've become closer than anyone would have expected. We picked the rest of the rangers and the six of us guarded KO-35 for years. Now, I am alone. They're gone. All of them. They were all killed in the same war that Zhane was injured in. The way that destroyed KO-35, my home planet. Now, I have to find another place for the people of KO-35 to live - if there is anybody left. I have to take the Megaship away from here. Alone. I can't afford to hurt anyone else. No one will ever use the Astro Powers again. Ever.

Andros

Justin looked at the journal entry in shock. He could never figure out why Andros had come to Earth. He knew that Andros was from KO-35, but he never asked about the planet. Maybe that was why Andros always seemed to be hiding something from the others.

And then Andros had to live it all over again when Kanara came. He had to watch as more of his teammates were destroyed by her. If he ever wakes up, there's no telling how he will react or if he will be able to live with himself. Suddenly, Justin remember why he was in the memory banks. He pushed the thoughts away and continued searching. Finally, he came across something that looked very promising.

My powers almost died out. Ever since I woke up from cryosleep, my power levels had been off. Suddenly, I found that I could stay morphed for two minutes and thirty seconds. That's it. That's the longest I could stay morphed. And I left the whole team vulnerable, though they didn't realize it. I couldn't tell them that I was losing my powers! They would become too concerned for me and might get themselves hurt in battle. I had to fix my powers on my own.

And I did, though I hope I never have to fix my powers that way again. Being hit by a bolt of lightning isn't my idea of fun. But my powers are back and that is all that matters to me. I am no longer the weakest link of the team and the others don't have to worry about me.

They ended up finding out, though. But they didn't get it exactly right. They must have overheard my talking to Alpha or something but somehow they got the impression that I was dying. And I decided to play on that. Yeah, it was the wrong thing to do, but that'll teach them to listen in on someone's private conversation. Of course when they found out, I had to clean the entire Megaship! I never the ship could be that big!

Things have changed in the last couple of years. Andros is different, both in a good way and in a bad way. He really likes Ashley; it's obvious to everyone on the ship. Not that I mind. He deserves happiness after all that he's gone through. And I hope she can give it to him. Ever since the others were killed in the battle, he hasn't been the same. He never mentions any of them! I guess it's too painful for him. I mean, he watched as his teammates died. He probably held their bodies as they said their last good-byes. And I wasn't there for him. Instead, I was stuck recovering from my injuries. If I had been there, maybe that wouldn't have happened. Things would be really different if I hadn't been hurt the day that KO-35 fell. Things would be very different.

Zhane

"That's what he needs!" Justin whispered in excitement as he stared at the screen. "He needs a burst of energy to restore his powers and his life force! I bet his powers have been facing the last five years, but he didn't even realize it because it couldn't morph."

He turned away from the computer and jumped out of his seat. He quickly ran over to the door of the Medical Bay and typed in the code to get in. He burst into the room and ran over to where Kat was sitting by Zhane.

"Guys! I know what's wrong!" he exclaimed as he ran over to them. "I know how to get Zhane's powers back!"

Kat looked at him in shock, even though she felt the hope rising within her. She stood up slowly and glanced at Justin. "How can we help him, Justin? What can we do for him?"

"We need a boost of energy to save him." Justin explained. "And if we combine our power, Kat, it might be what he needs."

"How will that help him?" asked a mystified Kat. A small groan interrupted their conversation and both of them turned towards Zhane. Kat reached over to him as he struggled to get up. "Don't Zhane. You can't afford to exert yourself. Not now."

"When I first woke up from cryosleep, my powers were very limited," Zhane struggled to explain, beads of sweat welling up on his forward in obvious exertion. "It was so bad that at one point, I only had two minutes and thirty seconds to morph. In order to get my powers back, I had to be struck by a bolt of lightning. I was hoping that I would never have to do that again. But.."

Kat hastily cut him off. "So if we give you a boost of our power, it will save you?" As Zhane nodded, Kat turned back to Justin. "I'm ready. What do we have to do."

Justin led her over to Zhane, until they were both on opposite sides of his cot. "We have to do this quickly because with each passing minute, Zhane is losing more of his power."

Kat nodded, glancing over at Zhane. He smiled at her and closed his eyes, exhaustion hitting in. She looked back at Justin and nodded grimly.

"With your power crystal in your right hand, slowly raise it over him." Kat did as she was told and Justin followed suit. "Now, touch your crystal to mine."

As the two power crystals touched, a burst of light gushed forth from them and covered Zhane. He stiffened slightly as the power flowed into him. Suddenly, Kat and Justin watched in horror as he stopped breathing. Kat quickly glanced over at the heart monitor and stiffened as it went flat. She looked over at Justin, tears glistening in her eyes.

"We have to do something else! This isn't working!"

"It will work! It has to!" Justin yelled back, grasping for more ideas. "I think we need a stronger burst of energy. We have to morph!" Kat nodded and keeping her crystal touching Justin's she called out,

"Jedi Pink!"

"Jedi White!"

Suddenly, white and pink energy burst from their crystals enveloping them all in light. Kat gasped as she felt the power of the combined crystals, more power than she had ever felt before. Though it had only been a few seconds, Kat felt as though the power had been flowing through her for hours. She began to tremble in exertion as the power filled all of them. She looked up at Justin, gasping as she saw the paleness of his skin.

"Hold on, Kat!" Justin called, gritting his teeth. "It'll only take a few more seconds!" Kat nodded and forced herself to stay upright and conscious. Finally, the light of their crystals died away and both rangers immediately fell to the ground in exhaustion. But the only stayed there for a few seconds, for the had to find out if the energy boost worked. They forced themselves to get up so they could see if Zhane was alive. Kat reached out with a trembling hand and she softly touched the skin of his face.

"Zhane," she whispered. "Are you okay?" Zhane's eyes slowly opened and he smiled up at both of them.

"Now I am." he said. "Now that I have my powers back. Nothing can stop us now."

"I wouldn't say that," a voice hissed from behind them. The three rangers looked at each other in shock and alarm as they slowly turned around. Zhane's face paled as he stared at the site behind him, a site that will haunt him for a very long time. Standing in the middle of the control center dressed in black leather with his blond streak hair pulled back was Andros. "Nothing can save you now."

Zhane could only stare at Andros in horror as he saw a small metal chip implanted on the side of his forehead. "Andros, please..."

"What?" Andros said harshly, cutting Zhane off. "Think about what I'm doing? Denounce evil and join you? I don't think so. This is the side with the true power. And now, all of you will taste defeat."

~*~

As Obi-Wan and Anakin piloted the ship closer to Coruscant, Obi-Wan noticed that Anakin was unusually quiet. He watched his Padawan for a few moments before slowly setting the ship into autopilot and turning to face Anakin. "What's wrong, Anakin? I can tell that something is deeply troubling you."

Anakin sighed and shifted slightly in his seat, wishing that Obi-Wan had not noticed. "It's just that...I keep having these visions, Master. Horrible visions that are starting to cloud my mind. I don't understand them at all and they're almost starting to scare me. What is gong on?"

"Many times when a young boy starts his training to be a Jedi, the Dark Side acts swiftly to try and tempt him. The Dark Side is a very powerful force, one that you have to be careful to never fall in it's trap." Obi-Wan explained quietly. He stared into Anakin's eyes, and saw that there was still a troubled look on his face. "Tell me, young Padawan, what were your visions about."

"They were about a man - no, a machine almost that was dressed all in black with a shining black helmet on his head. He wore a chestplate covered in buttons and he had a special breathing device that amplified his breathing." As Anakin explained the vision, a feeling of dread crept up his spine, causing him to shake involuntarily. Obi-Wan caught this immediately, seeing that Anakin's vision was much more than he had at first thought.

"What else did you see? Did you hear anything? Did something seem wrong about the man?" Obi-Wan asked patiently. Anakin gave a quick nod and looked at up Obi-Wan, his bright blue eyes shining directly into Obi-Wan's.

"The name that I heard was that of a Sith Lord. The man's name was Darth Vader," Anakin whispered hesitantly. "Everything about him seemed so wrong! There seemed to be a darkness around him, a darkness that I didn't understand. A darkness that...scared me." The temperature in the room seemed to drop as Anakin's vision once again flashed through his mind. "I know that Jedi aren't suppose to feel fear because that leads to the Dark Side, but this man was filled with so much evil that I couldn't help it."

"That is where you are wrong," Obi-Wan said calmly. "Jedi do feel fear. The difference is that we do not let our fear control us. We accept that there are some things that we fear and we do our best to overcome them. Once you accept your fear and overcome it, you will find that the Dark Side will not be able to overcome you."

Anakin nodded, feeling only a little better though he could still feel a chill in the room. Obi-Wan looked at him calmly, seemingly oblivious to the sudden chill in the room. But that was not at all true.

This vision of his is incredible. He has been obviously affected by it, so I know that it runs deeper than my visions of the Dark Side ever did, Obi-Wan thought. In fact, I can't recall the last time a Padawan was affected this deeply by a vision. Sure, they've had visions of the Dark Side, but never about a Sith Lord.

"Arrival on Coruscant in five minutes," came the monotone voice of the onboard computer. The voice interrupted the silence of the room and Obi-Wan quickly made his way over to the main controls.

"We'll finish this conversation later, Anakin, after we talk to the Council." Obi-Wan said briefly. "Right now, we have to get to the Council as soon as possible." Anakin nodded in agreement, but the thought of his vision was still nagging the back of his mind.

Not now, Anakin thought. Right now, we have to tell the Jedi Masters about Kanara. And we have to see if they can help Floita. As Obi-Wan flew the ship closer to the tower where the Jedi Council took place, two robotic flyers zoomed in and flew to either side of the ship.

"State your name and reason for coming." The robotic voice commanded. Obi-Wan leaned close to his speaker and called out,

"I am Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Knight. I have come to speak with the Jedi Council." he stated in a monotone voice. Anakin looked at Obi-Wan in confusion, but did not ask anything.

"You may proceed." said the ships. With that they zoomed away, leaving a small cloud of dust behind. Anakin glanced over at Obi-Wan with questioning eyes.

"What was that?" he asked. Obi-Wan took his eyes away from the course just for a moment so he could answer Anakin.

"Those are Chancellor Palatine's new guards." Obi-Wan explained. "So no unidentified people could sneak in." Anakin nodded his head at Obi-Wan's brief explanation, wondering what the point of having the guards had been. After all, the Jedi Council was there. They would be able to sense if anything was wrong. Obi-Wan slowly steered the ship to the docking bay of the Jedi Council's tower. Soon, Anakin and Obi-Wan were on their way to the Jedi Council. They had dropped Floita off in the most advanced medical facility in Coruscant, close to the tower. Now, they were on their own

Anakin took a deep breath as they neared the room, remembering the last time he had been there. He knew that the Jedi were good, but it was strange to have people knowing exactly what he was thinking. They would know everything about him in just a matter of minutes!

"In a matter of seconds, actually." Obi-Wan joked as he smiled down at Anakin. Anakin looked up at him in surprise.

"How did you know what I was thinking?" he asked in surprise. Suddenly, the smile disappeared from Obi-Wan's face and he looked down at Anakin seriously.

"Right now is not the time for me to explain it to you." Obi-Wan whispered. "Now is not the time." Anakin nodded and the two of them continued down the hall until the doors of the Jedi Council came into view. Butterflies seemed to be fluttering everywhere in Anakin's stomach as Obi-Wan opened the doors. Forgotten was the conversation he had with Obi-Wan just a few seconds ago. Now they were in the presence of the Jedi Council, the most highly pronounced Jedi in the entire universe. Whilst many Jedi, including Obi-Wan, were Jedi Knights, these were the Masters. They knew everything that was going on, and nothing could escape them. Anakin and Obi-Wan walked into the center of the room, with Anakin keeping his eyes downcast. Scattered along the edges of the room were the twelve different Jedi Masters, all from different planets and species, who directed the entire Jedi Order.

"You have run into an unexpected problem, Obi-Wan." stated Mace Windu, more of a statement than an actual question. Obi-Wan nodded and turned to look at the Jedi Council.

"Something is changing the universe. Making for the worse, that is." Obi-Wan glanced at each one of the Jedi as he continued. "In the short time that we were on our mission, Anakin and I have run into many troubling problems, including the near destruction of an incredible race, the rise of a new evil, and a group of defenders going out to fight for a trapped friend." He took a deep breathe, and was about to continue when Master Yoda looked at him.

"Much evil there is." Yoda croaked, his large pointed ears twitching with each word. Wisdom filled each of his words, and everyone listened intently to what he was saying. "Clouded is the universe, by the evil that invades. Overpowered will we be by the growing of evil. Lives of many will be sacrificed." Yoda's tone gave everyone a of sense of foreboding to everyone in the room, and Anakin felt a sense of fear pass through him, but quickly tried to control it. Yoda turned to him, and though he did not say anything, Anakin knew that Yoda had felt his fear. Before he had any time to contemplate it, Obi-Wan continued.

"Much evil, yes. One in particular, Master Yoda." Obi-Wan explained, looking directly at Yoda. "A young girl, filled with enough evil to conquer everything that stands in her way. She was killed many, and has attempted to kill off a race of highly intellectual beings."

"The Erans." Hiyoria, a being from the planet of Weyre said, surprising Obi-Wan. "Yes, I have met with the Erans many times. What has been done to them?"

"A sickness is spreading through their people, faster then any I have heard of." he explained. "There is no record of the disease in any of the files I have looked through, and I suspect the disease might be because of magical proportions. Magic from the girl of Kanara." The Council members glanced at each other, not surprised at the news but worried. Mace Windu leaned forward and looked at Obi-Wan curiously.

"How strong is this girl?" he asked. Obi-Wan slowly glanced around the Council, slowly watching the reactions of all the council members.

"This girl has conquered an entire planet, which had been able to defend itself against many villains before that." he explained slowly. "She has killed most of her close friends, only luck saving those who are still alive. She has cast a spell over all of the Erans, causing disease to spread through the entire race. And she will kill anybody who gets in her way." The Council members nodded as they digested all that the young girl had done. Silence filled the room, and for a few minutes no one spoke.

"Filled with evil she is," Yoda spoke quietly. He looked up, his large eyes filled with wisdom. "As is somewhere close. Win this round, she will." The other members turned to Yoda, their features marred with that of worry.

"What evi..." As the council members discussed the problem, Anakin's gaze was brought to the left side of the glass dome that covered the council. A mask of confusion crossed his face as he noticed a small fighter plane spinning erratically through the air. His confusion quickly turned to alarm as he realized where the plane was headed. He reached to grab Obi-Wan's sleeve when the council members turned towards the dome.

The plane sent two missiles at the tower, but they were batted away by the power of the Jedi Masters. The plane continued on it's course, reading to crash into the glass dome when suddenly it changed it's path. Or, the Jedi changed it's path for it. They watched as the plane headed back into the atmosphere. But suddenly, the Jedi turned back to the door where Obi-Wan and Anakin had entered. The door opened with a hiss and stormtroopers poured in. One hit the controls of the door, making it impossible for the doors to close.

But the stormtroopers were no match for the council. The legions of evil were pushed back by an unseen force as the Jedi Masters used the Force to control them. Suddenly, they felt it. They felt the arrival of an evil being, one whose power was very great. In a blast of purple she appeared in the tower, becoming visible in her spot right next to Anakin and Obi-Wan. Before either of them could move, a flash of purple appeared around causing them to become immobile. She gave Obi-Wan a cruel smile as she looked at up him.

"We have many plans in store for the two of you," she whispered in his ear. With that, the three of them disappeared in a glow of purple. Kanara disappeared last, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the small but powerful creature that watched her carefully. She suddenly felt very vulnerable and was filled with relief when she disappeared completely.

The Jedi Council watched as the stormtroopers left the tower, all of them gone in a matter of seconds. The Jedi Masters were disturbed by their lack of foresight they had with the girl. It seemed as if she was being protected by more than the Dark Side. There was something more about her that they couldn't figure out with just the small amount of time she had been there.

Yoda looked around, calmly taking in the thoughts of each of those on the council. He had had a glimpse of her mind and was troubled by what he had seen there. Yet, he felt as if there was hope for her yet.

"Much worry I have." he croaked, mostly to himself. "Strong is evil with that one. And yet, there is another, stronger in evil."

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