Power Wars: The Rising Force
by Emily

Chapter 6

The Astro Megaship slowed down as it approached it's destination: KO-35. Karone watched as they neared her home planet, pain filling her as she thought of her lost childhood. More than ten years ago she had been kidnapped and taken away. Now, she was home.

But her home was different than she thought it would be. Deep battle scars ran across the planet, evidence of the war that destroyed its people. Battle scars that had so mutilated the land that they could be seen clearly from space. The beauty of the planet had been destroyed by the army of Dark Spectre, leaving a deserted and tired planet behind.

Even now, she could not remember much. The brainwashing those many years ago had been so complete that she had forgotten everything about her past. Yet she had broken through covered parts of her memory after years of attempts. Bits and pieces were slowly coming back to her, a little at a time. One day, maybe she would remember everything.

Karone tore herself away from the window, clearing her mind. Zordon. Our duty is to find Zordon. We have to save him.

She walked over to her already familiar control panel, using the scanners to look for Zordon on the planet. The search came up negative, as it had for the last couple days. She sighed in frustration, turning the scanners off as she did. Her sigh broke Tommy away from his thoughts. He walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly as she glanced over at him. She gave him a tired smile, grateful for his support, as she pointed towards the negative readings on the screen.

"Nothing is coming on the scanners. I've been running them ever since we started approaching the KO-35 and nothing has come up." She turned to him, obvious frustration evident on her face. "It doesn't make sense. If Zordon was there, our scanners should be able to register his presence."

Tommy stared at the scanners for a moment then turned to look out the window. "I don't know, Karone. If Dark Spectre really is draining Zordon's power like Dulcea said, he could probably block Zordon's presence from any scanners."

Karone nodded grudgingly, flipping the scanners off. She looked once more at her home planet before turning back to Tommy. "Tommy, what did Obi-Wan say to you?"

Silence greeted her unexpected question and she could see the emotions conflicting on his face. He glanced away from her, but she carefully pushed his face back so she could look in his eyes. He sighed.

"He said that my path lies uncertain before me. I've reached a point where my life could take me in two directions: one path leads to pain, suffering, and eventual death. The other leads to hope and life. I have to choose my path carefully, for I am a part of the greater destiny."

He sighed, troubled by the words. "I just don't understand it, Karone. I've always felt that I would have to choose my path carefully one day, but I never thought that it would be so soon. I thought that I would know which way to go because I would feel it pulling me towards it. But I don't know where to go. I don't know which path to take. And...it scares me."

Karone's heart went out to him at his sudden admission of fear. Even before she had met him, she had heard stories from Justin about the courage and the leadership of Tommy. And even though she had not known him that long, she had always felt the bravery that poured out from him like waves. But now, as they stood facing each other, Karone could see that fear that had long been hidden under his courage and bravado.

"Tommy, there's nothing wrong with being afraid," she said softly. "Everyone fears something or someone. What's important is that you don't let that fear control you. The moment that you let your fear control you is the moment that you have taken a step on the wrong path."

"Do you know how long I've lived with my fear, Tommy? My fear of becoming who I once was, succumbing to my inner demons and destroying everything on Earth that I know and even love? I've pushed past my own fear because I know that if I allow myself to fall to it, I'll end up destroying not only those I care for, but I will destroy myself."

Silence greeted her insights as Tommy looked away, quietly digesting all of the given information. He looked back up at Karone, a slight smile spreading across his face. He pulled her into a gentle hug, not able to express his gratitude. She understood his silence, though, and returned the hug.

"Arrival on KO-35 in three minutes," The onboard computer announced. Tommy and Karone slowly broke apart, their smiles disappearing as they realized the danger that lurked close-by. Where ever Zordon was, Dark Spectre was sure to be close by. Karone turned back to the controls, glancing once more at the negative scans.

"I hope we can save him," she said, biting her lower lip nervously.

Tommy smiled at her reassuringly, though worry was evident in his eyes. "Don't worry. We'll save him. If we work together, anything is possible."

Memories came running back full force at Tommy as he uttered those words. A day, years ago, when Zordon's life was in critical danger. *Guys, remember what Dulcea said? With the great power, anything is possible.* Even back then, when times were at their lowest, the rangers never lost hope. No matter what happened, they had hope that they could win. Tommy felt a twinge of hope growing inside him, a hope just like the type he had felt before Kanara.

Karone, oblivious to Tommy's trip down memory lane, slowly maneuvered the ship through the atmosphere. She fiddled with the controls as she searched for a place to land. The ship slowly drew closer and closer to the surface of the planet, passing through layers of clouds as it did. With a sudden lurch, the ship hit the ground and slowly slid to a stop. Karone glanced at the main viewing screen and saw that nothing was moving on the planet. She slowly turned to Tommy, grabbing her helmet as she did.

"This is it," she whispered. "It's do or die time." Tommy nodded and quickly slipped his helmet back on. Karone followed suit and soon both of them were heading for the door. As the door slowly slid open, Karone hesitated and turned to look around the Megaship once more. Tommy looked quizzically at her.

"What are you doing?"

"I want to remember what it looks like here," she explained, biting back tears, "in case I don't make it back." Slowly, very slowly, she turned and started to walk out the door. She froze in her path when a familiar voice interrupted her.

"Good luck, Karone," announced a very feminine voice. Karone's head shot up as she looked around in shock.

"DECA?" she whispered as she heard the voice of the ship's computer system. But no more sound came from the ship as Tommy led Karone out. But as she watched the door to the ship close, a genuine smile crossed her face. I'm going to make it out of here alive. I know that I will. I have to bring her back to them.

Karone and Tommy moved away from the ship, watching their surroundings cautiously. They walked through a wind-blown, dusty area that, years ago, might have been the downtown center of a magnificent city. But all that was left now were dilapidated buildings showing the curse of time. Karone looked around her surroundings in sadness, though she had no memory of this place in particular. This place was her homeland. She might have spent time here with her family, before the mark of evil touched upon it. It might have been a bustling city, full of life and laughter. But now, all that was left was being destroying by the biting wind.

"Hey," Tommy whispered suddenly, causing Karone to jump slightly. She looked at him, pushing her thoughts away. She followed his finger and stared at what he was pointing at. "What's that over there?"

She shrugged as she stared at the small metal well that stood by a group of splintered boards. "I don't know what that is. There really isn't a reason for that to be there."

But before she could analyze the situation more, a feeling of utter dread fell upon her. She felt as if all the joy and hope that she had once felt were being sucked away. Darkness was falling upon both of the rangers, filling them with fear and dread. And she knew why. She had felt these feelings before, while she had been a prisoner of evil; when she had been a soldier of Dark Spectre. She slowly spun around, her worst fears confirmed. There, standing behind them, were an army of Quantrons, the foot soldiers of Dark Spectre. And standing behind them, towering over the landscape of the planet, was none other than Dark Spectre himself. His rock-shaped body was gleaming a bright red, the rock almost glowing with energy. His eyes drilled into them as he took a step closer to them. The ground shook as he did, and both rangers had to work carefully to keep their balance. Karone could swear there was a smile on his lips as he glared down at them.

"Well, well, well," he bellowed, glaring down at Karone and Tommy. "What do we have here. Two little lost rangers." The Quantrons laughed a metallic laugh as they slowly began to surround the two. "You've come to the wrong place. There is no one here who can help you. I will defeat you just as I defeated this planet years ago."

Tommy shook his head as she looked up at Dark Spectre, pushing his fear away. Karone gave him a smile of admiration, though he could not see it.

"I don't think so, man," shouted Tommy, his own voice echoing through the empty town. "We will not be defeated here. We will destroy you and all of those that follow you."

Dark Spectre laughed, a booming harsh laugh, as he heard Tommy's words. "Idiot boy! You have no idea what you're up against here. I am not one of the fools that you have battled before. I am the leader of the Alliance and I will destroy you."

With that, a loud battle cry erupted from the Quantrons as they began to charge. Karone and Tommy glanced at each other briefly before turning back to the oncoming Quantrons. They each stood in defense stances, waiting for the oncoming attack.

"Here we go," muttered Tommy as he drew his lightsaber. As the Quantrons approached, Tommy knew that this would be the battle of his life. He even knew that this could be his last battle. There was a chance he would die in this battle. But he didn't care. He had to do this. He had to do what he could to protect his planet and his friends from this abomination that stood before him. And he would go out fighting if he had to.

~*~

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, I ask once again for your silence!"

The voice boomed through the room, echoing off the walls and the ceiling. A silence filled the room, the Senators shocked by the sudden outburst of their usually mild-mannered leader. Leaders of planets all over the galaxies slowly filed to their seats, preparing themselves for the briefing by the Chancellor.

"Friends, esteemed colleges, you have been called here today to discuss a growing threat in our universe. Less then two weeks ago, beings calling themselves "stormtroopers" have been attacking sporadic planets through the galaxy. Though they do not appear to be a threat as of yet, they seem to be growing more aggress every day."

Palpatine watched each of the members of the Senate carefully, studying their reactions. Most seemed horrified but strangely enough, some seemed unaffected by the news. I'll have to talk to them later.

After a few moments of silence, he turned to the booth where Amidala sat. He nodded to her and slowly sat down as she stood. As she slowly stood, Amidala held her head high, her face emotionless as usual as she scanned the room.

"The Chancellor is very right about the stormtroopers, I'm afraid," she said, her voice ringing out clearly for all to hear. "Just recently, my planet was once again attacked. At first, the stormtroopers were chasing after a young girl who supposably escaped from them. But they soon began to attack my city, killing innocent civilians."

A collective gasp was heard as the extent of the damage caused by the stormtroopers was fully realized. Immediately, some planet leaders pushed their boxes out of place and flew them towards both Amidala and the Chancellor.

"Who was the girl?" "Did the stormtroopers attack in force?" "Who is in charge?" "Why did you let them get away without further questioning?"

A stream of questions flew at Amidala, yet she answered them instantly. "A slave under the rule of Kanara, an evil being who supposably controls the troopers. Yes, they attacked in force but they were dealt with by Captain Panaka and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Unfortunately, there were no living troopers left after the attack to question."

"Stormtroopers have been spotted on planets through the galaxy, and as the days pass, new sighting are reported. Already, the casualty list is at 45 civilians and 125 members of various militaries," Palpatine announced loudly, making sure his voice was heard over the din.

"My planet has also been attacked by stormtroopers, though fortunately no one was killed," Leanna Ortega announced, her calm voice brimming with intensity. "But even as we speak, unidentified ships were seen heading towards the moons surrounding Aldaraan."

"A squadron of troopers attacked and boarded ships bringing imported goods to my planet," called out another senator. Soon, Senators all over were calling out their own experiences with the stormtroopers. Heated debates began to grow as Palpatine watched carefully. The last thing he wanted were fights breaking out in his Senate.

Suddenly, the doors to his quarters opened and a red-faced, panting foot soldier. Palpatine looked at him in interest, momentarily pulling himself away from the debate at hand. "Can I do something for you, soldier?"

The young soldier took a deep breath, fear reflecting in his eyes as he stared at Palpatine. "Chancellor, there has been an attack on the Jedi Council. White beings calling themselves Stormtroopers burst in, as did a female all in black. While the Jedi can hold their own, a group of stormtroopers have parted with their comrades and have started on a new path."

"They're headed here."

Palpatine took a sharp breath, dismissing the soldier immediately. He turned back towards the Senate, ignoring the Senators who came over with their own personal arguments. "Senators, QUIET!"

Arguments ended in mid-sentence as everybody in the room turned to stare at Palpatine. A somber mood came over the Senators as they saw the seriousness on his face. "We must act fast, fellow Senators. Stormtroopers are closer than we had thought. Just a few moments ago, the Jedi Council was attacked by the stormtroopers. And, more are headed towards us even as we speak."

Chaos filled the room as Palpatine's words sunk in. Senators screamed out suggestions, but each were drowned by suggestions of others. As Palpatine once again prepared himself to get their attention, Sri De'hara of the planet Broma stood up and yelled, "Senators, please, hear me out!"

"In light of the current events and the immediate danger to all of us, it is time that we came to a temporary yet effective decision. When the Senate was first founded, a clause was put in just for such an emergency. I propose that we invoke Clause #576."

"That would give the Chancellor complete control of the Senate!" Leanna Ortega announced, anger barely perceptible. "That is something that we cannot allow."

"We have no choice! We do not have the time to come up with another proposition," Sri De'hara argued. "We must get back to our planets and protect our people. And ourselves."

Leanna Ortega shook her head, obviously perturbed by the suggestion but not able to come up with a plan of her own. Palpatine scanned the room quickly as he glanced over at Sri De'hara.

"We will take a vote. All those in favor of invoking the clause, please turn on the green light outside of your chamber. Those opposed, turn on your red light. Remember, time is of the essence."

Palpatine watched as green lights flickered all over the Senate. He smiled slightly inwardly as just a few red lights turned on, in particular those of Aldaraan and, surprisingly, Naboo. But even with those few red lights, it was clear that most senators preferred to invoke the clause.

"I officially invoke Clause #576," Palpatine announced. "I dismiss the Senate and please, I ask all of you, be careful on your journey back home. Stormtroopers seem to be everywhere, and an enemy can be anywhere."

With those words, senators acknowledged their leader once more and hurried out of their boxes. Pounding feet could be heard echoing throughout the entire building as senators hurried to their ships, hoping to make if before the stormtroopers attacked. So far, most had managed to avoid confrontations completely, but stormtroopers were getting closer.

Leanna ran out of her box, her shoes slipping slightly on the slick floor. Shots could be heard behind, causing her to quicker has pace towards her ship. Just a few more feet. I have to get home, to warn my people about the new threat. She raced around the corner, turning her head just in time to run into Palpatine.

Both senators collided, falling to the ground hard. Leanna winced as her elbow hit the ground first, causing her to gasp in the sudden pain. Palpatine stood up quickly, giving a hand out to help her.

"I'm so sorry, my dear. I should have been watching more carefully," he said, a tight smile crossing his face. She nodded as he helped her up, the tension and stress of the moment blatantly obvious to both parties. "Good luck getting him, Leanna."

She gave him a slight smile. "Thank you Chancellor."

Both of them starting walking away when a sudden noise caused both of them to look back. A small transmitter had fallen to the ground during their collision and had started playing. Leanna looked at it in shock, horror marring her pretty face as she saw Kanara's message to Darth Sideous. She glanced over at Palpatine, slowly backing away from him.

"That's nothing, Leanna. I confiscated it from a bounty hunter and was about to give it to the Jedi after the meeting," he said, his voice even and calm.

Leanna shook her head, sudden realization hitting her. "No, that's not right. That's why he knows so much. That's why he's knows every move that we make. It's you. You probably planned the Senate meeting so you could get control."

"You're panicked and very stressed by the situation," Palpatine said, his voice monotone. "Sense often gets skewed in these situations."

"No, I can feel it," she whispered. "I can feel the evil around you. I don't know why I didn't before."

As she turned to run, Palpatine lunged forwards and grabbed her wrists. With one swift move, he pulled a dagger hidden in the folds of his cloak. Leanna gasped in shock and pain as the knife bit into the soft flesh of her neck. She struggled to get out of his grasp, but she found she was losing strength fast. She did not even notice when he let go and she slowly sank to the ground. Blood pooled around her as Palpatine's face began to blur.

"I'm sorry my dear, but you proved yourself very immune to the mind trick," he said, almost apologetically. "I wish there was another way."

Footsteps were heard suddenly, hurrying down the adjacent corridor. Palpatine whipped his knife off quickly and ran towards the exit. Just as the folds of his cloak disappeared, Mace Windu turned the corner opposite him. He stopped suddenly when he saw Leanna before running to her side.

"Leanna! What happened? Who did this to you?" he asked almost frantically, though there was a current of calmness in his voice. He got no response, watching as her face turned an even lighter shade of white. "Dimitria?"

Her eyes fluttered open as she recognized the familiar voice. A hint of a smile appeared on her face as she felt herself begin to fade. Mace put a hand softly on her shoulder, trying to get through to you. "Who did this to you?"

A frown marred her face as she remembered what had happened. "I found out who he was and he stabbed me. I couldn't get away from him?"

"Who? Who stabbed you?"

She took her last deep breath, pulling herself together enough to say, "It was Palpatine. I found out he is the Darth Lord and he stabbed me."

With those words Leanna Ortega, Dimitria, lived her last. Her head rolled to the side and her spirit flew free. Mace gently let go of her shoulder and stood up, mourning for a moment the departing of a fellow comrade. But he only took a moment, for he knew the danger was too great to take anymore time than what was needed.

"Mace, I thought....oh!"

He turned around to see Amidala standing there, her eyes wide with shock. Before she could say anything, though, Mace grabbed her hand the two started running towards the ship.

~*~

A bulky ship blasted off the planet Coruscant, leaving only a cloud of dust behind. The ship quickly jumped into hyperspeed, in order to avoid any clashes with the Jedi. Obi-Wan and Anakin found themselves in a plain, seemingly doorless room, without anyone in speaking range. After a quick inventory of the room, the Jedi and his apprentice found that they could not use the Force to find an exit or to escape. They were trapped within the walls of ship - and of the evil that threatened the universe. They sat there for hours, not hearing a sound other than their own breathing.

Suddenly, a loud banging outside the walls caused both of them to jump up in defense. One of the walls hissed open to reveal Kanara smirking at them, stormtroopers at her back.

"Come on boys," she said as she casually strode forward. "It's time to go."

With a flick of her wrist, the stormtroopers flooded in, grabbing Obi-Wan and Anakin harshly, placing manacles on both of their wrists. Obi-Wan closed his eyes and tried to open the manacles, but received a harsh shock that went up and down his spine.

"Don't even try it, Jedi," Kanara whispered gently in his ear, her hand slowly caressing his back. "They're specifically made to hold Jedi - Darth Sideous designed them himself."

Obi-Wan stiffened at her words, but that was his only reaction. He and Anakin were pushed forward by the stormtroopers, Kanara smirking behind them. Slowly the stormtroopers walked down the long hallways, jostling Obi-Wan and Anakin every now and then. Every attempt they made to free themselves was rewarded with harsh shocks of energy, sending pain through their bodies. Finally, they were led to a large door at the end of the hall. There was no keypad for this door, only a single red box next to the door. Kanara strode forward, licking her lips as she stopped to glance at Obi-Wan. At his lack of response, she put her hand on the box. The door opened and she led the two into the room.

Shadows filled the room, giving an eerie feel to the area. A huge window stood before them, with a black chair in front of it. They could only see the back of the chair, even though Obi-Wan could feel evil coming in waves from the "throne". Kanara pushed both of them to the ground so that they were down on their knees. Slowly, ever so slowly, the throne began to spin. As it turned towards them, a shadowy figure clad in black stared down at them. His face was barely perceptible because of the dark robe, but they knew who he was. He was the Sith Lord, the master of all evil. Anakin could feel the figure's gaze burning into him, as if he could see right through his mind and into his deepest thoughts and feelings. Not a sound was heard in the room as Anakin and Obi-Wan felt the full power of his evil. The silence was broken by the sharp clunking of Kanara's boots as she walked to stand next to Obi-Wan.

"Are you going to talk to them or what?" she asked as she raised her eyebrow at the Sith Lord. "Because if you're not going to, I want my part of the deal."

She glanced over at Obi-Wan, her head tilting slightly as her eyes slowly traveled down him. Obi-Wan forced himself to ignore as a wave of disgust passed through him. She turned her eyes to the Sith, the question burning in her eyes. He paid no heed to her, though, as he sat there in silence. Suddenly, with no warning, a bolt of lightning flew from the Sith's hand, directed right at Kanara. She saw the slight movement of his hand, though, and with a flick of her wrist she sent the bolt harmlessly away. Her smile disappeared as her eyes turned to slits.

"You won't get rid of me that easily, Sideous," she hissed, malice behind her voice. He merely nodded at her.

"Just testing you," he explained in a monotone, yet calculating voice. "Just checking to see if you are capable to handle the Jedi. I don't want any mishaps on my ship."

"I got them here, didn't I?" she challenged, fire burning in her eyes.

He met her look, giving the captives their first glance at his yellow, evil-filled eyes. "Barely." He turned away from her, once again turning his eyes to Anakin. Anakin closed his eyes, trying to push all his feelings away, especially the fear that he felt bubbling towards the surface. Kanara sighed loudly, rolling her eyes in impatience.

"Listen. You have all the time in the frickin' universe to stare at the little boy. Just give me the Jedi and I'll be out of your way."

"Take him. Then leave us." With those words, Kanara roughly pulled Obi-Wan up, connecting a long chain to his shackles. She jerked him forward, causing him to almost lose his balance completely. Once he was close enough, she pulled a large metal ring out from under her cape. With one quick movement, she put the ring around his neck, completely immobilizing his head. Once the ring was in place, she started to lead him out of the room. She nodded at two of the stormtroopers, who immediately followed her as she left. As the door closed behind him, Kanara turned to him, a twisted smile on her face.

"Now it's time to play my way, Jedi."

Anakin watched helplessly as the door closed behind his Master, sealing any hope of escape. He turned slowly back to the Sith, yet not daring to raise his eyes to look upon the evil before him. Darth Sideous glanced over at the stormtroopers, nodding to them. "Leave us." The stormtroopers acknowledged the order and quickly left the room. As soon as the door closed behind them, Sideous turned his attention to Anakin.

"You won't be needing those," he said quietly. The shackles fell off of Anakin's wrists, causing a tremendous noise to echo through the room. Anakin looked at him in surprise, but quickly looked away as Sideous' eyes met his own.

I have to find a way to get out of here and find Obi-Wan. I have to get away, Anakin thought as his eyes darted around the room, desperately searching for an escape. He jerked in shock when he heard the low rumbles of Sideous' laughing. Anakin half turned towards him, fear beginning to build in the pit of his stomach.

"There is no need to search for an exit," he explained almost menacingly. "There is no other way out than through that door. Not that you need to escape. You'll find you're stay here quite...comfortable."

"How did you...."

"I know everything," whispered Sideous. "I have powers the Jedi can only dream of. I have powers that you want, that you deserve after everything that you have been through in your short life. With the powers I have, I can control the entire universe. I can destroy planets with the flick of my wrist. I can create life where none exists. And...I can bring people back from the dead."

As Anakin heard those last words, a picture of Qui-Gon came to his head. A deep sorrow filled him as he remembered the first person that had given him a chance at something other than being a slave his entire life. One of his few real friends in his life that had been cruelly taken away by evil.

"You miss Qui-Gon, don't you?" the Sith asked. When Anakin didn't answer, a chuckle escaped from the Sith's lips. "Is that all you miss? Or is there someone else?"

The words hit Anakin right in his heart. Images of his mother filled his mind, his throat closing up slightly as he remembered how much he missed her. He missed everything about her. The way she would caress his head before he fell asleep at night. How she called him "Annie" with such a deep tenderness in her voice. The way she always believed that he had the ability to do so much more that was offered to him. A lone tear slowly slid down his cheek as he realized, for the first time, how much he really missed her.

"I miss my mother," he whispered, more to himself than to Sideous.

But that was the only answer that Sideous needed to hear. He leaned forwards, looking directly into Anakin's eyes. "And where is your mother right now? Can you feel her life force?"

Anakin closed his eyes, calming himself in order to use the Force to find her life force. His forehead wrinkled as he searched desperately for her but could not find her. There was no trace of her anywhere. It was as if she had...

"No, she hasn't disappeared," Sideous said calmly, yet calculated. "But I can tell you where she is right now." Anakin looked up at him, his curiosity and fear causing him to give in to the evil being. "Your mother, I'm afraid, is dead."

Dead. Mom's dead. Gone. Forever. Sideous' words echoed through Anakin's mind, causing Anakin's fear to grow. He took a deep breathe, trying to control his fear and anger. He shook his head, not willing himself to believe what Sideous had told him. "No, that is not true. You're just covering her life force up to trick me."

Anakin looked straight into Sideous' eyes, determination in his own. "I will not let you trick me. I will not let you persuade me to join you. I will become a Jedi, just as Qui-Gon was. I will not fall to your games. Not now, not ever."

Sideous leaned back onto the throne, digesting the news with interest. So, he is able to resist me. This will be interesting indeed. Yet, it will make his joining me even more complete. The longer he resists, the more his anger and fear will weaken him. And then he will become one with the dark side. Then I will rule the universe with him at my side.

~*~

Obi-Wan found himself by dragged through the hallways of the ship, having absolutely no clue what lay in store. Every so often Kanara would look back, an evil glint flashing in her eyes. Hallway after hallway they went through, and Obi-Wan suspected that she was trying to confuse him, trying to make sure that he would not be able to make it back to Anakin. But Obi-Wan was carefully picturing the turns they had made, taking into account every detail his immobility allowed. He would get back to Anakin - he wanted to make sure of that.

After traveling through three more hallways, Kanara stopped suddenly in front of a room at the end of a long hallway. She quickly punched in a security code and the door opened in a hiss of steam. Kanara dragged him into the dark room filled with shadows. Suddenly, without any warning, the lights flashed on. Obi-Wan squinted as his eyes slowly grew accustomed to the bright light. He looked around the room in surprise, unsure of what it had been built for. It was a circular room in shape, with chains and manacles attached to the walls. In the middle of the room was a raised platform, also in a circular shape. The platform was above a deep, dark pit that seemed to have no bottom at all. The platform was large enough, for it took up a large portion of the room. A small set of stairs led up to the platform. Metal railing surrounded it, giving barely any attention if a person was to run into it. They would fall a long way if they were too tall. Obi-Wan was jerked from his thoughts as Kanara led him closer and closer to the platform.

"Not it's time to find out what a Jedi is really like," she whispered, dragging him to the steps. Once up, she led him to the center of the platform where, to his surprise, she shed him of all the shackles he bore. With a flick of her wrist, she flew the shackles into the pit below. Obi-Wan strained his ears to listen for the crash of the shackles when they hit the bottom. It never came. "Here. Catch."

Kanara suddenly threw a small metal wand at him. With Jedi reflexes, he caught the wand and was surprised to find that it was his lightsaber. He looked at her warily for a moment, grasping the lightsaber firmly as he waited for what was to come. She smiled wickedly at him as she pulled out and ignited her own lightsaber. "We're going to play a little game. First one knock the other out, wins. It's as easy as that."

"What's the catch?" Obi-Wan asked warily, not trusting her terms.

"If you win, you can go free. I'll give you a ship and you can be back to your Jedi Council. But, if I win, you're mine to play with. Forever."

A flash of purple whipped through the air as she lunged at him, hoping to catch him off-guard. Obi-Wan jumped away, igniting his own lightsaber in the process. He watched her warily as she slowly began to circle him, her lightsaber poised to strike. Obi-Wan fell into a defensive position, awaiting the attack. He did not have to wait long as she leapt at him, bringing her lightsaber down quickly. He reflected the blow with ease, pushing her back in the process. But she quickly recovered.

Before he had a chance to react, Kanara suddenly pulled a blaster out of her belt and shot a laser right at him. Obi-Wan did not even think as he moved his lightsaber to reflect the shot, using the Force to guide him. She sent off a few more shots before throwing the gun away. As the gun skidded across the floor she charged him, lightsaber swinging wildly. She swung her lightsaber once again, this time faster and with more aggressions. Obi-Wan barely had time to block it when she suddenly went into a tornado kick. Obi-Wan, caught by surprise by the move, tumbled to the ground as she hit him in the stomach. Beads of sweat covered his forehead as he concentrated deeper with the Force. As Kanara neared him, he jumped up on an offensive. His lightsaber moved with unbelievable speed as he attacked her, forcing her to defend herself. Suddenly, his lightsaber hit her skin. Kanara dove to the ground, wincing at the pain of her now injured shoulder. Obi-Wan took a deep breathe, preparing himself once again. She glared at him as she slowly stood up, all traces of a small gone.

"You shouldn't have done that," she hissed as she gripped her lightsaber tightly. "You shouldn't have done that."

With that, Kanara leapt at him, intent on taking him down. Their lightsabers met in a clash of sparks, though neither seemed to notice. They fought furiously for minutes, lightsabers blocking and attacking with impossible speeds. Obi-Wan suddenly swept his lightsaber away and leapt to the right. Kanara, caught completely off-guard, catapulted over him, her lightsaber flying out of her hands. As she hit the ground, her arm twisted painfully under her. She let out a screech of pain, cradling her arm as she slowly stood up. A flash of purple swept through her. Obi-Wan looked at her in shock as he saw her arm was completely healed. She glared at him for a moment before moving towards her lightsaber. But before she could get to it, it flew away from her and into the hands of Obi-Wan. She turned towards him, a look of shock and anger on her face.

"That's the way you want to play, huh?" she sneered as she glared at him. "Fine."

Before he had a chance to think about what she meant, the lights suddenly went out. Obi-Wan deactivated both lightsabers, using the Force to adjust to the lack of light. He searched his surroundings, poised for her attack. Suddenly, a laser beam came shooting out of the darkness. He ignited both lightsabers, deflected the bolt with his. Laser beams soon rained down upon him as he deflected them with both sabers.

Suddenly, a bolt took him by surprise, for it packed more energy than he had expected. Kanara's lightsaber flew from his hands, spinning crazily through the air. The beams stopped as he saw the lightsaber suddenly change directions. A second later, Kanara charged him, her lightsaber once again in her hands. She hit his lightsaber with such ferocity that he almost let go in surprise. Her face was illuminated by the lightsabers, giving her a spirit-like appearance. She pulled away slightly, only to strike once again at a different angle. Obi-Wan pushed her away, sweeping his lightsaber up and hitting hers with a great force. With every move that they made, it seemed that they only began to go stronger as they fought.

Trying to catch him off-balance, Kanara delivered a swift whip kick, intent on knocking him down. He dodged it and pushed his lightsaber harder against hers. She lost her balance slightly, her lightsaber slipping from contact with his. As her lightsaber slipped away, part of Obi-Wan's lightsaber touched part of her skin. She let out a scream of pain as she pulled her burnt hand away. Obi-Wan took advantage of her hesitation, pushing forward even more. Her lightsaber suddenly disappeared from view as the lights flickered back on. Obi-Wan could only stare in shock at the site before him. Their lightsaber duel had taken them next to the railing, and she had lost her balance. When she had started falling over the side, she had swung wildly and had managed to grab onto the railing.

Obi-Wan stared at her in shock as she dangled over the bottomless pit. Only one hand held onto the railing, for the other was the one that had been burned by his lightsaber. For the first time since had he met her, he saw real fear showing in her eyes. Fear as she realized she could fall to her doom. Obi-Wan could only stare as he tried to think of what to do. Yes, she was evil, but he had a duty to protect those in danger. Should he save her? Or should he let her fall to her doom?

He did not have a clue.

~*~

Zhane, Kat, and Justin stared at Andros in shock as he slowly circled them, like a lion circling its prey. Not too long ago, he had been with them, fighting against the forces of evil. Now he stood before them, as evil as any villain they had ever faced. Zhane stared at him in disbelief, not wanting to believe his friend was evil. He took a step forward, trying desperately to help his long-time friend.

"Andros, this isn't right. This is what you've fought against for years!" he said, hoping to reach the real Andros. But he only looked at Zhane coldly, not at all affected by Zhane's words. Andros stepped forward, slowly pulling out a long sword as he did. He smiled at the looks of horror on their faces.

"I guess I was just a bit...disillusioned during the last few years," he sneered. "Now, I see where the real power is."

Without any other words, Andros charged forward brandishing the sword as he did. Zhane barely managed to get out of the way as Andros brought the sword down, intent on the kill. Kat and Justin ran over to Zhane, checking to see if he was alright. All three looked at his split jacket in horror, realizing that Andros was dead serious. Zhane shook his friends away, staring at Andros.

"Andros, we don't want to have to fight you," Zhane pleaded. "We're your friends!"

Andros cocked his head slightly as if the words were foreign to him. "Friends? I don't have any friends," he said coldly. Kat winced slightly as she remembered the last time she had heard those words. It had been years ago, by the very person who destroyed her family, her friends, and her way of life. She did not have time to reminisce, though, as Andros said chillingly, "Besides, I want to fight you."

Andros strode forward, light flashing off the wicked blade of his sword. Kat grabbed onto Zhane's arm, trying to talk sense into him.

"Zhane, we have to morph!" she whispered urgently. "He wants to kill us! He isn't the same person you grew up with! Andros is gone." Zhane only glared at her and pushed her hand away.

"Don't you dare say that," he hissed harshly, his voice so low it was almost a growl. "Andros isn't gone. He's trapped behind the chip that they've implanted."

"We have to morph," Kat stated, her voice full of determination. "And you will morph, one way or another." He turned to glare at her, and their gaze met. The two stared at each other, neither willing to back down. Finally, Zhane broke eye contact and nodded.

"Fine. We'll morph," he agreed, a sharp edge in his voice. "But no one is to hurt him unless there is no other way. Got that?" The two nodded grudgingly.

"Jedi Black!"

"Jedi Pink!"

"Jedi White!"

The three, fully morphed, prepared for Andros to attack. A cruel smile crossed his face as he gave them the once-over.

"At least now I'll have a challenge," he growled. "Putties, attack!"

With only that warning, about a dozen gray putties appeared, surrounding the rangers. Justin and Kat immediately fell into defensive stances, while Zhane slowly glanced around. Suddenly, to the surprise of Justin, Kat, and the putties, he rushed forward and catapulted over all of them. He landed directly in front of Andros, staring directly at his former friend and partner. He looked into Andros' eyes, trying desperately to find a piece of the person he used to know. Instead, he found nothing but pure evil, despise...and hatred. Zhane found himself staring into the eyes of a complete stranger. For once, he felt as if the fight was hopeless. If his best friend, the one person who had kept him going during their battle on KO-35, the one who had been able to break any spells that had been cast upon him, the one who he had often relied on when all else looked bleak, had fallen prey to the evil that threatened the universe, how could they fight against it? Maybe the battle really was hopeless after all.

No, Zhane thought, sudden determination bursting up in him. This is not what Andros would have wanted. He would have wanted us to fight against the evil, even if it seemed hopeless. And that is just what I'm going to do, even if it kills me. But he had to try, once more, to reach his friend.

"Andros, we can help you!" he said, trying to reach out to the part of Andros he knew was buried deep within the stranger before him. "You know this is wrong. Remember how long we worked together? Remember how right it felt to defend our friends and our planet? Come back to us, Andros. Fight against the evil."

At those words, Andros winced and put his hand to the metal chip. A spark of joy leapt through Zhane as he saw the sparks emitting from the chip. I knew that he was still in there, fighting against the evil! I knew that Andros wasn't really gone.

But, Andros shook his head and looked back up at Zhane, a smirk on his face. "Why would I want your help? Why would I want to fight the evil? When I fought against it, I knew there was no way I could ever win. Now, I have more power than you can ever imagine. And it's time that you realized that."

Andros leapt at his one-time friend, sword swinging. But Zhane was not ready to go down. Not now, not since he knew that his friend was fighting the evil the best that he could. He would do everything it took to bring his friend back.

All that I have to do is protect myself and my friends. And I have to stop Andros from doing something he is going to regret. With that thought, Zhane defended himself against the oncoming attacks, now fighting with a lighter heart.

While he took on Andros, Kat and Justin found themselves being challenged by the putties. Years ago, they would have been able to take all of them down while barely lifting a finger. But since then, the putties had grown stronger. Much stronger, in fact. It seemed to both Kat and Justin that the putties strength had been increased more than twenty times. But that was not going to stop them. Mere putties would not stand in the way of protecting their beloved planet. They had failed once. They were not going to fail again.

"Justin, look out!" Kat yelled as she saw two putties sneaking up behind him. He was already outnumbered by the six putties that he was fighting against; anymore and he might not be able to hold them. Kat immediately delivered a swift side kick to the putty on her right. It crumbled to the ground, only to have another take it's place. She cursed silently to herself before surprising the putties by sweeping their feet out from under them. With them distracted, she vaulted over them and ran to Justin. "Need any help?"

Justin nodded as he punched a putty in the chest. "Yeah, plenty!"

With the combined forces of both of them fighting together, they managed to take down all of the putties. They stood in defensive stances for a moment before the putties disappeared from sight. With their foes defeated for the time being, Justin and Kat ran over to where Zhane and Andros were fighting. They looked at the two in awe, for their skills were much more advanced then theirs had ever been.

Wow, Justin thought as he watched the two battle. They are incredible! I have never seen anyone as good as those two, not even when I was a ranger before.

Kat watched the two for a moment, worry masking her features. Though the two seemed pretty evenly matched, she knew that Zhane would tire out sooner than Andros. It had been years since he had been able to have a real workout. Sure, he had practiced during their time of imprisonment, but that was not the same. And even though Andros had just recently woken up, he was being powered not only by his own skills but by the power of the evil spell that had been put over him. She knew that she had to intervene before Zhane started to wear out. She glanced over at Justin and, with a brief nod, both of them jumped towards the fighting duo.

Before either of them could reach them, a sudden burst of energy blew them back. Justin and Kat quickly recovered their footing, but it was too late by then. A large force field had been enclosed around the two. Kat ran over and slashed at the force field with her blaster, only to be shocked and thrown to the ground. So, she did the only thing that she could.

"Zhane, be careful!" she cried, her fists clenching as he took a particularly hard blow. He shrugged it off, though, and with a series of punches and kicks, he knocked Andros to the ground. He glanced over at Kat momentarily, eyeing the force field as he did.

"I always am," he answered, and she could almost hear a smile in his voice. But no more was said as Andros got back up and charged at Zhane. Kat could only watch in fear as Zhane was attacked with such ferocity that he faltered for a second. Kat's head filled with ideas of how to help when a pair of warriors suddenly appeared in the room. Kat turned to them, a feeling of dread filling her as she recognized the winged creature and his companion.

"Goldar. Scorpina," she whispered, more to herself than anyone else. They both smiled at her, wicked, cruel smiles that seemed to ooze with evil.

"That's right, Kitty-Kat," Goldar growled, staring at the girl. "And now, it's the end for you."

Kat held her head high as she glared at the two, clenching her blaster tightly. "I've heard those words before. They don't scare me anymore, Goldar."

He hissed at her before turning to glance at Scorpina. They shared a brief smile before turning back to Kat and Justin. Without any words of warning or attack, they charged forward ready to destroy their enemies. Kat and Justin shared a brief look of their own as they turned their blasters into daggers. Something had changed in the villains over the years. They were more ready for a fight, more bloodthirsty than ever before. Kat and Justin knew that this would be a long and weary battle. It might even by the largest battle they had ever fought. It might even be the last time they would ever defend their beloved planet - forever.

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