Disclaimer: Power Rangers and all related indicia in this fic belong to Saban. In this particular fic, those characters not created by Saban belong to me. The modified Blue Senturion (remember, mine looks like RoboCop, only blue?) belongs to Saban, and since I own neither the word Purple nor the word Senturion, I suppose Purple Senturion belongs to Saban, too. He gave me the concept, after all.
Author's Note: Just so everyone knows and there isn't any confusion, there isn't going to be a Magna Defender as we know him in Earth Crystals. Instead, there are six Sabers, with a sixth one producing a Black Ranger. Full description follows in the fic.

Galaxy Rising
by Jeremy Ray Logsdon

Mirinoi
Jara, one of the elders of the village Trista of Mirinoi, remained standing atop the Quasar Stone. His arms extended and magical energy glistening off of his fingertips, he kept the protective bubble surrounding the stone stable. A few persistent Sting-Wingers were continually trying to break through it, but for now, at least, the Elder was able to keep them back.

A short distance away, the vortex he and his wife had opened for Maya continued to glow. The glow intensified, and Maya, along with a woman Jara didn't recognize at first, burst through it. Then, when he realized his granddaughter's companion was Dulcea, Greatest Warrior in the Cosmos, his strength and resolve intensified, and the protective spell became even stronger.

Dulcea was surprised at the level of inactivity around her. She had expected to emerge in a full-out war. Instead, all she saw were a few of the green insect humanoids trying to break through a protective sphere surrounding what she would later learn to be the Quasar Stone. She had no idea what the entire planet looked like, but she was currently in a jungle village with no people present.

"Pater, are you okay?!" Maya cried, hurrying up to the Quasar Stone. With her Quasar Saber, she dispatched of the closest Sting-Winger. As it collapsed, she moved toward another. The insects apparently took the hint as they unfurled their wings and flew away. "Where is everyone?"

"I am fine, Maya," he answered calmly. "Furio and his Sting-Wingers have left this place. They are headed to Titani."

"Do you know why?" Dulcea asked.

"That's where the Army keeps their weapons," Maya told her. "It's our largest city, and it isn't far from here. We have to go stop them-"

"Maya, Shondra and some of the warriors are attempting to lead them off course," Jara answered.

"You let Shondra go?!" Maya cried. "Pater, how could you?! She isn't a warrior!"

"No, but she has a special bond with nature, Maya," Jara said. "Like you. It is not over Shondra I worry."

"We'll go after them," Dulcea promised. "They will be stopped."

Suddenly, the vortex flared up again, and from it emerged a man in a woolen, blue robe that covered him from head to toe. Immediately following him were the Blue and Purple Senturions. "Ninjor," Dulcea realized, temporarily forgetting that after Zordon's death, he had been freed from his imprisoning armor.

The great Warrior pushed his hood back, revealing a tanned, weathered face and short cropped salt and pepper hair. He was now an intimidating man in both manner and appearance, to say the least. "Dulcea," he said. "We just received word. What is the situation?"

"Do you know who is attacking?" Dulcea asked, looking at Jara.

"Scorpius and his minions," he answered. "We do not know anything more than that."

"Scorpius was lost many millennia ago in a temporal rip," Ninjor said. "I assumed he had been destroyed..."

"Apparently, he was just relocated," Blue Senturion commented.

"He is here to gain the Quasar Sabers," Jara continued. "Unfortunately, our greatest Magicians have told us that the Legends..." He paused, obviously quite upset. "The Legends are not true. There is not a warrior for each of the Sabers. None of the Mirinoans, save for Maya, can pull a Saber from this stone. I cannot protect them forever."

"We'll find someone on Earth," Dulcea promised. "But we will need to take the Sabers to Dimitria."

"The Sabers can only be removed by those destined to own them," Maya insisted.

"Yeah, well there's nothing keeping us from yanking the stone out of the ground," Ninjor said.

"Performing scan," Purple Senturion announced. Her black visor lit up with a faint lavender light. Just a few moments later, she announced, "Senturion Pistols set on highest setting can cut through the material."

The two Senturions unholstered their pistols and pointed them at the stone. "Please move," Dulcea said. It wasn't so much a request as an order, which Jara followed. As soon as he moved, his spell of protection ended.

"Hurry," he pleaded, nervous at leaving the Sabers unguarded.

In a blue flash of light, a being, resembling a bipedal Manta Ray in part, appeared next to the stone. "Back, Treacheron!" Ninjor ordered, identifying the beast. Ninjor pulled a black sword out of his robe, and with a sharp, fast upswing, knocked Treacheron away.

Blue and purple light, respectively, burst out of the Senturions' pistols. Maya, with her Saber in hand, stood protectively over the stone as they cut through it. And then, with a loud clang, the Stone was cut through. They each fired a single shot at one end of the oblong object, producing a place to insert a hand. Then, they each got on one end and, straining noticeably, picked the Stone, complete with the remaining five Sabers, up.

"Purple, place the Rangers' into the Power Stations' system," Dulcea ordered. To Maya, she added, "We have added strengths... Helmet abilities, Metallic Armor... They may come in handy."

"Yes, Dulcea," Purple Senturion promised. With Maya and Dulcea guarding each side of them, and Ninjor still fighting Treacheron, the Senturions walked, as fast as they could, to the vortex. When they stepped through, it was temporarily lit up with red, black, blue, green, and pink energy.

"Do you truly believe they'll find Rangers?" Maya asked hopefully.

"I know they will," Dulcea promised. "Ninjor! Do you need assistance?"

With a final swing of Ninjor's sword, Treacheron decided he had enough and disappeared. "Not now," he answered, sheathing his weapon.

"Where did Furio go?" Dulcea asked Jara.

"To Titani," Maya said. "Follow me."

As Maya and Dulcea ran off through the jungle, Ninjor stopped next to Jara. "Are there people in this village?" When he nodded, Ninjor added, "Stay here and protect them. You will need to guide the Galaxy Rangers along when they arrive, anyway."

"You know their name," Jara said in surprise.

As Ninjor hurried after Dulcea and Maya, he shouted over his shoulder, "I made these powers!"

Earth
"What time is it?" Billy asked groggily after he and Justin had been beckoned to the Power Station.

"Two twenty," Alpha answered matter-of-factly. "We need your assistance."

"Of course," Billy said. "What's going on?"

"The planet Mirinoi is being attacked," Dimitria answered. As the computer screens brought up a Star Map, she continued, "It is a planet in the Virgo cluster."

"How on Earth did they come to us for help?" Justin asked. "There are several hundred Ranger planets between here and there. I mean, the Virgo Cluster is over sixty million light years away."

"They obviously needed Dulcea's help," Billy said, noting that the light indicating Dulcea was lit up. That light meant she couldn't be contacted, and in Dulcea's case, that only happened when she was already fighting. At the moment, the only two others not available were Tommy and Katherine. "Master Warrior. And Phaedos is known universally. How did Dulcea manage to get to Mirinoi so fast? A teleport THAT long could have taken a good hour, the first time. If we've never been there and can't rely on old records..."

"There is a magical vortex on Phaedos connecting the two planets," Dimitria said. "We have just sent Ninjor and the Senturions. One of them should be returning at any time with more information."

"We've got activity on Phaedos," Justin realized. The younger Ranger was standing over a side panel, trying to bring up a visual scan of the planet. Before he could even complete the process, a wide, bright, multi-colored teleportation beam dropped into the dim Power Station. When it cleared, the two Senturions were sitting the Quasar Stone down on the ground before Dimitria's pedestal.

"We need five more Rangers," Blue Senturion started.

"The signature of all five Sabers is virtually identical," Billy said. "The differences are minimal, which makes our job much easier. And that also means we'll probably have more than five candidates."

"Color isn't a factor, apparently," Justin agreed. "Anyone who can pull one Saber could pull any of them. I think I'm also detecting mild sentience from them."

"Quite likely," Dimitria said with a nod.

"Performing Angel Grove scan, now," Alpha said. He had no more than pushed the button than the computer beeped with a match.

"Bring up match," Billy ordered, a bit surprised.

As the computer screen showed the match, they all realized why it had been returned so quickly. The computer had automatically performed a scan of the beings it already knew. But it didn't bring up the identity of one of the pre-existing Rangers.

"Astronema," Justin muttered.

Before anyone had the chance to comment further on the likelihood of a villain being able to pull one of the Sabers, the computer beeped again. "All right, another match," Billy said. "Bring up match."

The image showed the driver's license photo of a young Chinese man. His information began to file across the screen. "Cross-check name Kai Chen with all known criminals," Billy ordered.

"No match," the computer returned a moment later.

"He works for the GSA," Justin noticed. "Think he'll be up for being a Ranger?"

"Only one way to find out," Billy said. The computer beeped again, and Billy suggested, "Wake up some of our Rangers and get 'em out to his residence to proposition him."

"On it," Justin agreed. He hurried over to the comm console and looked at the list of Ranger names. "I think he'd look good in red," Justin decided, tapping the buttons for Jason and Andros. "Ranger wake-up call," he started. "Wake up, morph, and get your butts to the Power Station 'cause we've got a job for ya."

Mirinoi
Shondra, just a young woman, was a bit out of her element. The fact that she was female had nothing to do with it. Half of the warriors in her unit were women. However, she had just barely completed her training, yet here she was, part of a party containing Trista's finest warriors. They were tracking Furio's party, traveling parallel to them.

"We have to send someone ahead to Titani," the leader of the group, Clara, commented. "Quietly. We should get the TransDaggers before Furio even arrives."

"Shondra and I should go," Cullen, one of the male warriors, commented.

"Me?" Shondra asked. "But I'm needed with the group."

"You have a superior sense of direction," Cullen told her. "Clara can track as well as you can, but only you can get us through the jungle quicker than Furio and without him seeing us."

"He's right, Shondra," Clara agreed. "Go. We'll be fine without you."

"All right," Shondra said, nodding. She tapped the dagger on her left hip to make sure it was still there and then hurried off through the trees with Cullen close behind.

Earth
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Kai griped, buttoning his pajama top as he trudged toward the front door of his apartment. Turning on a light in the living room, he stepped up to the door, glanced through the peephole, and saw the Red Morphin and Space Rangers standing on the other side.

"What on Earth-?" he asked, opening the door. "What are you doing here?"

"Kai Chen?" Andros asked.

"Yeah, that's me."

"Please come with us," Jason requested.

"Lemme grab my shoes," Kai said, stepping into a pair of sneakers conveniently located next to his door. As soon as he shut the door behind him, the two Rangers quickly escorted him down the hallway. Kai was silent, completely uncertain as to what was happening.

"Are you a student at AGU?" Jason asked.

"No, I work for the GSA. Why?"

"Casual conversation," he clarified. The trio quickly made it to the small yard at the back of the small apartment structure. There, the Blue and Purple Senturions were standing guard over the Quasar Stone.

"What is that?" Kai asked, his sleepiness gone and his interest piqued.

"Are you interested in being a Power Ranger?" Andros asked.

"What?"

"Please answer the question," Andros pressed.

"Uh... Yeah, I guess," he said. "I never really thought about it. What are you telling me?"

"If you would truly like to be a Ranger, please attempt to pull one of the Sabers," Jason told him, escorting him right up to the stone.

"Which one?" Kai asked. It was far too much information for him to deal with all at once, so he just decided to go with the flow.

"Your choice."

Kai stepped right up to the stone and gently touched the red hilt of the center Saber. Then, he quickly switched to the blue handled Saber next to it. With a quick pull, the Saber slid out of the stone easily and into his hand. An instinct he never expected to have took over, and he lifted the Saber high into the sky. Blue light shone from deep within the blade and cascaded down his body, turning him into the Blue Galaxy Ranger. His helmet bore the image of an ape, and the golden coin in his morpher showed that his totem was the Antelope.

"Unbelievable!" Kai cried, instinctively placing his Quasar Saber in the holster on his left hip and holding his arms out before him, looking at the gleaming armor encasing his body. "I really get to be a Ranger?!"

"In fact, you get to go into a fight right now," Andros said. He reached out and touched Kai's shoulder, saying, "Come with us." Then, in a red and blue teleportation stream, the two Rangers disappeared.

Before Jason could radio the Power Station, two pink teleportation signals appeared beside him, producing the already-morphed Kimberly and Cassie. "We're going after a girl Ranger," Kimberly told him. "We can take it from here."

"All yours," Jason said.

"Let's go, guys," Cassie told the Senturions.

Kendrix hurried through the dark hallways of the Thompson Complex on GSA's main aboveground base in Angel Grove. She was at the base at the ungodly time of two thirty to check up on an experiment. Fortunately, it hadn't been harmed by the lack of electricity over the past two days. Unfortunately, she did still have to keep coming back to check on it and record some minimum measurements every two thirty p.m. and two thirty a.m. "Why I didn't start this stupid thing at eight o'clock is beyond me," she griped to herself.

Suddenly, a glimmer of pink light behind her brought her up short. "Is someone there?" she asked, turning around.

"Kendrix Morgan?" Cassie asked.

"Yeah, that's me," Kendrix said, stepping toward the voice cautiously. As it rounded the corner, she gasped. She had never expected to see two Pink Rangers together at the same time. For that matter, she hadn't expected to see one. Finally finding her voice again, she asked, "Can I help you?"

"Actually, we're hoping you can help us," Kimberly said, taking Kendrix by the arm. She escorted her around the corner, where the Senturions and Quasar Stone were standing in the middle of the hallway. "See, it's like this..."

"Yer majesty," Klank beckoned nervously, tapping his metallic knuckles on the door to Astronema's room.

"You had better have a good reason for waking me up this early," Astronema growled from the darkness of the room.

"I do, Miss Astronema," he said hurriedly. "Have you heard of the Quasar Sabers? They are on Earth tonight."

"Quasar Sabers? ... No, I don't believe I have," she answered. "Why? What good do they do?"

"How would you like to be a Power Ranger?" he asked.

Over her bed, a small orb of purple light appeared, lighting her face up in an eerie glow. "Me? A Ranger?" she asked. "Tell me more, Klank."

"You want ME to be a Ranger?" Damon Henderson asked in surprise as Skull and Adam escorted him into the parking lot of Henderson Garage.

"Pick a Saber, any Saber," Skull told him, gesturing to the stone with three Sabers remaining.

Damon grabbed the Green Saber without hesitation, easily freeing it from the stone. Green light flashed around him, and he was morphed into the Green Galaxy Ranger, his coin showing his totem to be an Otter. "Awesome!" he cried, pumping his fist into the sky.

"Ready to teleport?" Adam asked, grabbing Damon's arm.

They had already rematerialized in the Power Station before Damon could ask, "Teleport?"

"Two to go," Billy commented upon seeing the Green Ranger.

"Kendrix Morgan?" Damon asked in surprise, seeing the blonde he had gone to high school with talking to a man he didn't know.

"Do I know you?" she asked. "Take off your helmet." As he unbuckled the clasps, she suddenly realized, "Damon! Oh my God! How have you been?" She rushed to him and gave him a tight hug.

"Who's your friend?" Damon asked as she released him.

"Kai," Kai introduced himself. He shook Damon's hand and said, "Kai Chen. We both work for the GSA. Pretty wild night, huh?"

"Tell me about it," Damon agreed.

"Check it out," Kendrix said, gesturing to the coin in her morpher. "I'm a Fox. It's my guardian animal."

"Match, Mike Corbett," Billy spoke. "Computer, cross-check Michael Corbett with criminal record.

"No match," it replied.

"Mike?" Kendrix asked.

"We know a Mike Corbett," Kai said. "He works at GSA."

"Works at GSA?" Kendrix asked with lifted eyebrows. "He's second-in-command at GSA."

"This might be him," Billy told him. "Jason and Adam, I've got a guy for you. Mike Corbett. I think we may have also just found our Red Ranger."

"Billy, I've got activity," Justin said. "Astronema is somewhere in Angel Grove."

"What does SHE want?" Billy snarled.

"What do you want?" Mike asked angrily as he threw open the door to his apartment. He was dressed in pajama bottoms only, and he folded massive arms across a massive chest. It was a way to make him look even bigger and more intimidating than he really was; Jason understood it well. "Whoa..."

"Wanna be a Ranger?" Jason asked, pointing over the railing. Mike's apartment was more of a villa than a complex, a two-story structure surrounding a large courtyard. In the center of the snow-covered courtyard rested the Quasar Stone, with only two Sabers remaining.

"You can put on some clothes first," Adam told him, but Mike was already walking, barefoot, down the staircase leading to the yard. As if in a trance, he walked right up to the stone, touched the Black Saber, and yanked it free in one fluid motion. Black light flashed as he morphed into the Black Galaxy Ranger. His helmet bore the image of a Steer, and his morpher showed a Turtle.

"Dude's a natural Ranger," Jason remarked to Adam.

Adam started to reply, but suddenly shouted instead, "Senturions! Astronema!"

The raven-haired sorceress appeared behind the stone. With a dual blast from her Wrath Staff, she knocked both robots asunder. Then, tossing her weapon to the ground, she grabbed the Red Saber with both hands and yanked. The Saber slid from the stone, which promptly disintegrated into nothingness as the last Saber was removed.

"No!" Mike shouted, swinging his Saber and hitting Astronema's. It flew out of her hands, and the red morphing glow that had built up around her dissipated.

Astronema didn't say anything, but her Wrath Staff leapt into her hands and she leveled it at Mike. A powerful burst of purple energy struck his abdomen, sending him flying backwards onto the stairwell. She leapt for the Red Saber, but it was snatched from the ground just mere moments before she reached it.

"Adam, catch!" Jason shouted, hurling the Red Saber up to the Green Zeo Ranger, still on the second story walkway.

"Got it!" Adam cried as his right hand closed around the hilt.

"No, you don't," Astronema said simply as she blasted Adam. The Saber flew out of his grip as he toppled over the railing. He landed in an unceremonious heap in the snow, while the Saber stuck itself into the ground at the foot of the stairs.

"What's going on out here?" Leo Corbett asked as he came to the door groggily.

"Leo, get out of here!" Mike shouted as he ran up the stairs toward his little brother.

"Who are you?" Leo asked in surprise.

"Get out of the way!" Astronema yelled, using her magic to yank Mike off of the stairs and throw him across the courtyard. "That Saber is mine!"

As she ran toward it, the Saber suddenly picked itself up from the snow and flew through the air, planting itself in Leo's hand. Red light flashed, and he was promptly morphed into the Red Galaxy Ranger. "Huh?" he asked in shock.

"Leo?" Mike asked in surprise.

"Who is that?!" Jason cried.

"That's my little brother!" Mike shouted.

"What happened to me?!" Leo asked again, looking at his armor-covered arms.

"You stole my Saber!" Astronema shouted, drawing Leo's attention. "If it takes 'til my dying breath, I will make you suffer a-" She paused, remembering her sister's hatred of threats. Jenga Xett felt that only cowards made pompous, overacted threats. Composing herself, Astronema finished, "I will get my Saber back and end your life in the process." And with that threat finished, she disappeared in a flicker of purple energy.

"What is going on?!" Leo yelled, desperate for answers. As Adam ran up to him, Leo instinctively dropped into a defensive stance, holding his newly found Saber out before him.

"Hold up," Adam said calmly, holding his hands up in gesture of peace. "Rangers don't fight each other."

"I'm a Ranger?" Leo asked, looking at his arms again. "I mean... is this a dream? And why is there a Hummingbird on my belt buckle?"

"The Saber chose him," Adam told Jason. "Did you see it fly into his hands?" To Leo, he said, "And it's not a belt buckle; it's your morpher. And it must be your totem. I'm a Frog; you get used to it."

"Quick question, quick answer," Jason said. "You want to be a Power Ranger?"

"Well, I-"

"Quick answer, Leo," Mike pressed him.

"Uhm, yes?" Leo said nervously.

"Four to teleport," Adam called into his communicator.

Mirinoi
"We made it," Shondra said happily, smiling at Cullen. She looked away from the warrior and over the golden walls surrounding Titani. The beautiful city was also huge. It stretched out before them for as far as they could see.

"Do you see Furio and his army?" Cullen asked, cautiously moving a bit away from their protected location.

"Don't reveal yourself," Shondra warned. The two were situated on a small rise about a hundred yards from one of the main entrances. The jungle was beginning to thin, and they were no longer as protected as they had been deep in the wilderness.

Moving stealthily, Shondra hurried from the protective shade of a broad-leafed bush to crouch behind a thick-barked tree. There, she was able to see a bit more of the surrounding area. So far, Furio and his army of Sting-Wingers weren't around.

"Come on, Cullen," Shondra whispered. "We can go now." She waited a few moments, but she sensed no movement around her.

"Cullen," she said again, glancing behind her. As soon as she did, she screamed. Furio was towering above her, and the great warrior Cullen had been transformed into stone, one arm reaching desperately to her for help.

Furio tried to run her through with his sword, but Shondra dodged to the side, falling over Cullen's petrified body. As she got back to her feet, she pulled the dagger from the holster on her hip. And then, with weapon in hand, she leapt up off of the ground and into the closest tree. She kept one hand on the trunk as her feet easily sought and found purchase in the rough bark, propelling her upward.

She felt the tree shaking, and she knew that the massive Furio was scaling after her. However, this was her planet, she was used to its gravity, and she had spent the majority of her childhood climbing trees with her best friend, Maya. As the branches began to get smaller and smaller, she stopped, crouching delicately on a branch.

Shondra waited patiently, giving her eyes time to adjust to the darkness near the top of the tree. And then, when she was sure she saw him, she jumped out of the tree. Both of her feet struck Furio on the chest, and with a grunting scream, he fell out backwards, breaking branches as he fell. With occasional taps from her feet and hands, Shondra guided herself out of the tree quickly, reaching the ground just a few seconds after Furio and landing beside him.

Looking at his body, she was simultaneously disgusted and delighted. He had impaled himself on his sword, which jutted out of a grotesque, yellow-colored flesh wound on his back. She could hear him wheezing as she knelt beside his body to ask, "How can I revive Cullen?"

Furio's lips wetly smacked a few times, before he choked out, "A... a spell... I cannot perform... it."

"Then I leave you here to die," she answered coldly. Standing up, she silently walked away.

Furio lay in agony, unable to see anything except the ground a few inches before his face. But then, he heard heavy footsteps approaching. Intense pain shot through his body as he was kicked over onto his side. The pain increased when the sword was removed, and it was only then that he recognized the black and gold form above him.

"De-deviot," he sputtered. "Please... Save me..."

"A child did this to you?" Deviot asked calmly, turning the sword stained with Furio's unusual colored blood over and over in his hands. When Furio nodded, Deviot asked again, "What is your spell? What are the words?"

"Roll... dog... ber," Furio managed to speak. "And then... touch it... Please... help me."

"Thank you," Deviot said. Then, he raised Furio's sword and brought it down hard, splattering yellowish-green ichor on his own body. "I'm sorry, Trakeena," he practiced as he raised the sword again and landed it again with a wet thud. "I was too late to save Furio's life."

Shondra hurried through the dark, dusty tunnels of Titani's military complex. No one knew she was there. That was the entire purpose of her mission. She had to get in, get the most powerful weapons, and get out without anyone or anything knowing she had even been there. Fortunately, she had an excellent sense of direction in man-made places as well as nature, and it didn't take her long to reach the storage room.

Weapons from various Mirinoan cultures were present in the small storage room, but Shondra knew exactly what she was looking for. "TransDaggers," she murmured, finding the six weapons in a black, leather case.

Each TransDagger was shaped like a giant claw. Though simple in design, they were powerful weapons, reserved for the Galaxy Rangers. Shondra didn't know from where they had originated, but she knew they couldn't fall in evil's hands. She removed them from the case and slipped all six of the color-coded weapons into her knapsack. Slinging it over her shoulder, she turned to leave.

Standing in the doorway, blocking her exit, was Treacheron. "What do you want?" Shondra asked, backing into the room. She picked up a giant scythe and prepared herself to use it.

"Just give the TransDaggers, and go on your way," Treacheron said.

"Not a chance," Shondra snarled. A moment later, she seriously regretted it, as Treacheron dove for her with his white sword out in front of her. She cried out in shock and attempted to block with her scythe. His more-powerful sword cleaved her weapon in two, half of the scythe clattering to the floor.

Her eyes scanned the weapons desperately, and just when she was about to pick up a gun-like weapon and learn to use it on the fly, sparks flew from Treacheron's back. He cried out and spun around, lashing out wildly with his sword.

"Shondra!" Maya cried from the hallway. She stood with her Quasar Saber out.

"I have the TransDaggers," Shondra called.

"You'll regret this, Yellow Ranger!" Treacheron shouted menacingly. He pulled his sword up, but before he could strike, Dulcea appeared from nowhere, it seemed, and attacked him. His sword clattered to the ground, which Maya leapt over and sailed into the weapon's room.

"That's you in there, right, Maya?" Shondra asked as she dug through her knapsack.

"Who else would it be?" Maya asked back.

"Here's the yellow one," Shondra said, placing it in Maya's hands.

"Where are the other Warriors?"

"Cullen and I were sent ahead to get the TransDaggers," Shondra explained, "but... Cullen was turned to stone."

"We'll fix him later," Maya said. She glanced out in the hallway where Dulcea and Treacheron were still battling. "Wait here."

Maya leapt to her feet with the TransDagger securely in her right hand. The magical instincts all Rangers draw from the Grid took over her, and she proudly cried, "Delta Daggers!" With a glimmer of yellow light, her TransDagger transformed into two similarly marked and curved weapons.

"Metallic Armor!" Maya cried, one part of her mind completely understanding and the other part wondering where the words came from. "Power up!" A brilliant flash of light swirled around her, turning the yellow parts of her armor almost golden in their brilliance and the white dazzling, sparkling silver. "Electric Storm!"

Yellow electricity formed on her armor, crackling and skipping across her entire body. As she ran out into the hallway, the low growl that formed in her throat escalated into a battlecry. "Treacheron!" she yelled.

He turned away from Dulcea, and when he saw the Ranger running for him, he pointed his sword at her and channeled energy through it. It hit the ground at her feet, but with the enhanced Metallic Armor coupled with her anger after learning a dear friend had been turned to stone, the blast had no effect on her. Her cries reached a fever pitch as she leapt into the air, a Delta Dagger in each hand. He tried to block her with his sword, but she was quicker than he. She plunged both Daggers in his chest and channeled the electricity through the weapons and into his body.

His contorted face was just a few inches from her helmet, and as the electricity began to cover his body, she shouted, "This is for Cullen!"

Treacheron cried out in pain and anger, and Maya yanked the Delta Daggers from his chest and leapt back. The electricity consumed him, and with a final scream, he was burned alive in the magical energy, transforming from a powerful monster into a few handfuls of blue and white dust. The final sparks of electricity dissipated from the air, although Maya was still covered with it.

"Maya, are you okay?" Shondra asked, jogging up to her side.

She flipped the Dagger in her left hand into her right, where they merged back into her TransDagger. With a flick of her wrist, the TransDagger spun rapidly in her hand and then shot toward her forearm, disappearing as it sank into her pocket dimension.

"Power down," Maya said firmly. With an explosive blast of electricity and yellow light, Maya powered down, standing with Dulcea and Shondra in her typical garb.

"I've got the TransDaggers," Shondra announced, shaking her knapsack.

"Then Scorpius doesn't have any need to stay around," Dulcea said. "We have the TransDaggers and we have the Sabers. There is nothing else for him to get."

"That isn't exactly the case," Maya realized. "The Lights of Orion are hidden somewhere on Mirinoi, but no one knows where they are anymore. The map was stolen centuries ago."

"Maybe Ninjor knows more," Dulcea said hopefully. "Let's hurry."

"Oh stars," Maya cursed silently as the three women emerged from underground. The residents of Titani were still there, but they were grey and silent, transformed into stone.

"Dulcea!" Ninjor called out, running across the square and joining the trio. "Someone obviously cast a spell... All of the Mirinoans have been turned to stone."

"Why weren't we?" Shondra asked.

"The power protected Maya," Ninjor explained. "I'm not sure about you..."

"You were spared," the melodic voice of Deviot called across the square.

"Deviot," Ninjor snarled. "This is your doing?"

"Who else?" he asked, proudly showing Furio's sword.

"Go Galactic!" Maya cried, morphing in a bright yellow flash. She took an exaggerated stance and pulled her Saber. "Stay behind me, Shondra," Maya ordered.

"I'm not going to hurt your friend," Deviot said. "In fact, Princess Trakeena seeks an audience with her."

"If you think I'm going to talk to that insect, you've got another thing coming," Shondra answered.

"If you don't, then I'll send every single member of my army after your friend Maya," Deviot taunted.

"What?" Shondra asked in a small voice, casting a glance at the Yellow Ranger.

"Do you believe she can survive against all of us?" Deviot asked. "She's a new Ranger, and we've destroyed experienced Ranger teams."

"Shondra, don't even think about it," Maya said.

"You're sadly mistaken if you think Ninjor and I are going to leave Maya's side after a threat like that," Dulcea growled.

"You aren't a team," Deviot continued. "You may be grand warriors, but Maya is the only member of a six person team. She's worthless alone."

"I killed Treacheron by myself!" she cried.

"Care to take me on by yourself?" Deviot asked, spreading his arms wide in invitation.

"It's a trick, Ranger," Ninjor said. "Don't do it."

"One little Ranger, all by herself," Deviot taunted. "Pitiful."

"She's not alone," a female voice cried out. Everyone present turned as the remaining five Galaxy Rangers ran into the square with the two Senturions behind them.

"Rangers," Maya said happily.

"Princess Trakeena will get what she wants!" Deviot shouted, pointing at Shondra, just before he disappeared.

"Coward," Maya spat.

"Maya," Blue Senturion began, approaching the Yellow Ranger, "please meet your teammates. Mike, Black. Leo, Red. Kendrix, Pink. Kai, Blue. Damon, Green."

She removed her helmet as she saw they had done likewise. "Thank you for coming," Maya said.

"We'll get to know each other later," Ninjor said. "Let's find someplace less conspicuous to make a plan."

A small portal opened beside Mike, depositing Deviot beside him. "Surprise!" the villain shouted, kicking the Black Ranger in the ribs. Mike cried out as he was knocked asunder, but before Deviot could attack again, he had shifted from stand-by mode to fully morphed.

Mike's hand dropped to his waist, where he quickly and deftly released his Saber from its size-irrelevant holster. As he pulled it free, a shimmer of dark energy ran the length of the blade. Similar sparks of energy flashed around him as the other five Rangers did likewise, all prepared to defend themselves.

Deviot pointed his arm cannon at the ground behind Mike and fired. Two spherical orbs of green light shot out and struck the dirt, forming a swirling, green opening. "Give us Shondra!" Deviot ordered just before he shot again at Mike. The energy blast struck him in the abdomen, and he was thrown off of his feet and backwards into the portal.

"Mike!" Leo yelled, running for Deviot in a blind rage.

"Give us Shondra!" Deviot cried again, blasting Leo off of his feet. "Give us Shondra and we'll return the Black Ranger." In a flicker of green light, he and the portal disappeared, leaving no trace.

"I'll turn myself in," Shondra volunteered quickly.

"No," Dulcea said, stopping her. "That'll do us no good. They won't return Mike that easily."

"Let's just try and find their headquarters," Ninjor suggested. "We'll progress from there."

Mike's world was literally tumbling end over end. He was rolling down a slick passageway, being tumbled along both by gravity and a continual flow of water. The passage was slanted and heading down into the planet, and try as he might, he couldn't get a good grip on anything. He tried to stop himself with a hand on each wall of the chamber, but that only caused him to flip around, unable to see where he was going. Not that it mattered much; were it not for his enhanced Ranger vision, he would have been in complete darkness.

And then, suddenly, there was nothing underneath him and he was falling through the air. He landed with a splash and his body collided with the ground painfully hard. He sat up, instinctively gasping for breath even though his powers provided him with all of the oxygen he needed. He was sitting in a knee-deep pool of water in a huge, round room. Old stone columns were everywhere around the room, almost forming a labyrinth. A skylight far overhead allowed some sunlight in, and clinging vines and moss grew across the columns.

The Black Ranger carefully got to his feet. However, as soon as he stood up, intense pain exploded across his chest. His feet were lifted off of the ground and he was knocked into a stone column. He landed in a crouch, looking desperately for whoever had just attacked him. "Demorph," a harsh, female voice demanded.

"Yeah, right," Mike spat, still looking for the source. Another flash of energy fried him, and he sank to his knees in the water.

"Demorph!" she shouted again, stepping into view. Mike lifted his head up, seeing a female human/insect hybrid.

"Who are you?"

"Trakeena." This time, he saw her lift a blackish-green staff and fire at him. He cried out in pain, clutching his chest. "DEMORPH!"

"I'd do what she says," a calmer, male voice said.

"Villamax, is the prison prepared?" Trakeena asked.

"Yes," the one who was apparently Villamax answered.

"I'm not demorphing," Mike groaned, clutching the stone column for support.

"You must be new," Trakeena sighed. She pointed her staff at him and said, "If you were a seasoned Ranger, you'd know that there is a pain level even for morphed Rangers, and when the pain level is reached, you will automatically demorph." She blasted him again and shouted over his screams, "It should be a lot of fun finding your limit, won't it, Mike?!"

As soon as she cut off the stream of energy, he reluctantly demorphed in a flash of black light. Still wearing just his pajama buttons, he pushed his back against the cool stone surface to keep from sliding into the water. "Ugh, a mammal," Trakeena groaned. "All that skin and hair... Villamax, remove his TransMorpher."

"I advise you cooperate," Villamax whispered to Mike as he walked over to the Ranger. Mike offered no objection as Villamax removed the black device from Mike's left wrist. He walked away from Mike, and translucent walls of energy spanned the gaps between the stone columns surrounding Mike, creating an impenetrable prison.

"Your friends will be here soon enough to join you," Trakeena said with a taunting smile. Giving him one last look at his TransMorpher, she turned and walked out of the room, leaving him alone.

"Didn't you say Trakeena is an insect?" Kendrix asked.

"She is," Shondra answered. Kendrix, Shondra, and Maya were positioned at the top of a tree near Titani, hoping their bird's eye view would give them an advantage. Kendrix currently had her helmet on Infrared Scan, but she was picking up nothing significant.

"If she's an insect, she won't show up on Infrared," Kendrix said, shutting the helmet device off. The silver visor faded away, leaving the standard black one. "She doesn't put off any heat of her own."

"She's probably underground or in a cave, anyway," Maya sighed.

The upper branches of the tree swayed slightly as Dulcea joined them. "I have an idea," Dulcea said. "Well, we do. It's dangerous, but we think it might work."

"Go!" Ninjor shouted, leading the group of fighters into the midst of a swarm of Sting-Wingers. Kendrix, Damon, and Kai were the only Rangers among them, and they fought furiously with their Sabers, destroying the insects with ease. The Senturions were firing into the green throng with their laser pistols, each shot disintegrating a Sting-Winger. Ninjor fought with his bare hands, doing a thoroughly adequate job of defending himself, while Shondra, last of the group, was fighting with Ninjor's Sword.

As the Sting-Wingers and warriors battled, a short distance away, Dulcea, Leo, and Maya were fighting their own losing battle with a handful of Sting-Wingers. Dulcea found herself getting kneed in the stomach, doubling over in pain and falling to her knees. Maya and Leo were slammed together, dropping their Sabers, making the weapons disappear in glimmering red and yellow light, reappearing in miniaturized form in their holsters. The two Rangers attempted to get back into the fight, but Dulcea was promptly slammed into them. A Sting-Winger flew around them quickly with a chain in its hands, binding them together. Three of the insects buzzed loudly, and the remainder of the Sting-Wingers rushed off to the larger fight. Then, in a flash of green light, the final Sting-Wingers and the three captured warriors disappeared.

Water splashed as the trio fell into Trakeena's underground chamber. "Leo!" Mike cried upon seeing the Red Rangers.

The Sting-Wingers buzzed loudly and promptly dispatched, leaving them alone in the room. However, before any plan could be made, Villamax strolled into the room. "Well, well, well," he remarked. "Two new Rangers. Demorph and give me your TransMorphers."

"Demorph," Dulcea whispered. The chains gave up a little slack as Leo and Maya transformed into their human forms.

"And your TransMorphers," Villamax said, walking toward them. He paused, however, upon sight of the third person behind them. "Who is with you? Turn around!"

Slowly, they shifted around. As she moved into sight, Dulcea kept her head down, her mane of hair hiding her face. "Lift your face," Villamax demanded.

Dulcea cautiously did as he asked. A smile spread across her face as she saw recognition in Villamax's face. "DULCEA!" he roared.

"Drop!" she cried. Leo and Maya slid bonelessly beneath the surface of the water, freeing the chain. She whipped it over her head, coiled a length of it around her left wrist, and lashed out at Villamax, striking him squarely in the chest. He cried out but managed to grab the chain. Dulcea, however, yanked him off of his feet and plunged him beneath the water.

As soon as Maya and Leo resurfaced, they remorphed with loud cries of, "Go Galactic!"

"They took my TransMorpher!" Mike shouted. "Trakeena has it!"

"Go find her," Dulcea said hurriedly, waiting for Villamax to resurface.

"I'm here," Trakeena announced as she stepped into the room. "Villamax, you're dispatched."

"Where's Mike's morpher?" Leo asked.

"Looking for this?" she asked, gesturing to her left wrist. His morpher was strapped there.

"Give it," Dulcea demanded, gathering a length of chain between her hands. "Or else."

"Screw you," Trakeena snarled, pointing her staff at Dulcea and suddenly firing.

Dulcea dropped into the water, allowing the energy to pass over her and hit Mike's prison. One wall flickered out of existence, and Mike quickly took advantage of his outlet. Dulcea jumped out of the water and landed in front of Trakeena. She wrapped the chain around Trakeena's left wrist and inverted her hands, trapping them together. Dulcea delivered a knee to Trakeena's abdomen, and as the insect princess bent over, she yanked the TransMorpher off of her hand and threw it over her shoulder.

"Yes!" Mike cried, catching it. "Go Galactic!" Maya silently pressed a black TransDagger into his hand.

"Find a way out of here!" Dulcea ordered.

"Not without you!" Maya shouted back.

Trakeena, still trapped in the short length of chain, tried to point her staff at Dulcea, but the Master Warrior easily knocked it out of her hands. "I suggest you learn how to fight, Princess," Dulcea said. She kicked the staff away from Trakeena and promptly dropped both ends of the chain, plunging Trakeena into the water.

"I think this way!" Mike cried, ushering Leo and Maya into a side passageway. Dulcea was close behind, and the four quickly vanished into the shadows.

Trakeena got to her feet, her body fine but her ego and pride horribly bruised. She picked up her staff and frowned while rubbing her sore wrists. "I'll show you how I fight," she murmured to the empty room. "DADDY!"

Damon grunted as he put all of his weight behind his Saber, cleaving the final Sting-Winger in half. It completely disintegrated and fell to the ground. "Is that the last of them?" he asked, looking around.

"Looks like," Kai said. "I wonder if Dulcea and-"

"We're back!" Maya shouted, hurrying up to the others.

"Mike!" Kendrix cried happily. She hurried over to his side and gave him a brief hug. "We were so worried!"

"I'm fine," he assured her. "And I got to meet Trakeena. Scary chick."

"Are the Sting-Wingers gone?" Maya asked, looking around. "And where is Shondra?"

"She was just here," Damon said, turning his head from side to side.

"We'll find her," Purple Senturion volunteered.

"I'm coming with you," Dulcea said, following the two Senturions into the brush.

"What should we do now, Ninjor?" Maya asked.

"I'm not sure," he said. "We need to make a plan, I suppose."

Before anyone could add anything, a deep, booming voice called out, "RANGERS!"

A short distance away, the ground was disturbed as a huge, mechanical leg, lined with blue neon lights, exploded from the earth. Another plume of dirt shot into the air, followed by another leg. Leg after leg burst free until eight were visible. There was a mechanical groaning, and a robotic spider body lifted high into the air. Sitting atop the body was a transparent orb, inside of which rested a disgusting, yellowish-brown, tentacled insect.

"Scorpius," Ninjor whispered.

"You will pay for fighting my daughter," he growled from the robotic spider he was using as a vehicle. The Spider was several stories high, and blue neon tubing ran across its entire body. Scorpius, in the pilot orb perched atop the body, was speaking through a booming loudspeaker.

"How do we fight that thing?" Damon asked, looking desperately to Ninjor for help.

"You have Zords," Ninjor reminded them. "Call on them."

The four colored Rangers looked to Leo to start. He thought for a moment and then nodded. "GalactaZords! Arise!"

"ToroZord!" Mike shouted, looking up into the sky. "Online!"

The sky darkened briefly, as the six Zords flew down from the heavens. ToroZord raced ahead of the others, a powerful black and silver Steer. Mike crossed his wrists, and the black zigzag pattern on his armor briefly glowed silver. As he thrust his right fist into the sky, magical energy covered him and he lifted off of the ground and flew up into his Zord, sliding effortlessly into his cockpit.

"Let's do it, friends," Maya said. In unison, the five remaining Rangers crossed their wrists, punched the sky, and flew directly into the cockpit of their five, shiny Zords flying overhead.

Deviot placed a hand to his temple and pressed, activating the sensor in his "eye." As visual confirmation was received, he smiled. "So this is the cave," he murmured, entering the gaping maw in the ground.

Shondra stood up tall as the monster disappeared into the blackness of the cave entrance. "So you have the map," she said to herself. Just as she began to walk toward the cave, a strong hand grabbed her shoulder. She quickly spun around, only to relax when she saw Dulcea and the two Senturions.

"What are you doing here?" Dulcea asked.

"The Lights of Orion are in that cave," Shondra answered. "We can't let Deviot capture them." She turned away from them to enter the cave, but Blue Senturion reached out to grasp her arm.

"Let us enter first," the robot insisted. He drew his laser pistol and slowly entered the cave with Purple Senturion beside him. Dulcea and Shondra were close behind.

"Looking for this?" Deviot asked just a few moments after they had entered the cave, a smile in his voice. In his hands, he held a red and black chest, obviously home to the Lights of Orion.

"Those are NOT yours," Shondra threatened, pointing at Deviot.

"I believe they are," Deviot returned.

In a move too quick for Shondra or Deviot to follow, Dulcea had leapt between the two Senturions and struck Deviot in the abdomen. With a cry, the chest fell from his hands. Dulcea kicked him again in the stomach and as she drew her leg back, deftly knocked the chest in Shondra's direction. The Mirinoan grasped it desperately, holding it tight again her body.

"Take that to the Rangers!" Dulcea cried. Much to her relief, Shondra turned and ran, prompting Deviot to scream in anger.

He pointed his left hand at Dulcea's feet and fired. She flipped over his head, but as she sailed through the air, he shifted his aim to the ceiling and fired again. The twin beams of energy struck a stalactite, shattering it, which fell onto Dulcea. The Master Warrior of Phaedos slammed into the floor of the cave, large fragments of the broken stalactite covering her legs.

Blue and Purple Senturion each pointed their pistols at Deviot, a loud hum sounding in the cavern as the weapons began to power up. Blue and purple energy began to dance across their respective weapons and forearms. It was going to be a powerful blast.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Deviot growled, pointing his arm cannon at Dulcea, trapped beneath the rocks. His own weapon began to charge. "You may kill me, but I kill her before my body hits the ground."

The Senturions glanced at each other, unsure of what to do. They kept their weapons trained on Deviot, but neither fired. Dulcea, meanwhile, was trying to budge the rocks. Strong as she may have been, she was not a Power Ranger, and she suspected her left ankle was broken. It was badly sprained, at least, but it really didn't matter at the moment, because she couldn't get enough leverage to budge the large fragment of the stalactite.

"Kill him anyway," Dulcea hissed through clenched teeth.

"Myself, I suggest you let me go," Deviot said. "Dulcea, either we both walk out of this cave, or neither of us do."

"Dulcea?" Purple Senturion asked, her arm steady and the glowing pistol still trained on Deviot.

With an angry scowl on her face, she snarled, "Kill him."

As the sixth Ranger of the team, Mike's Zord was completely self-sufficient. He had just barely entered the cockpit when he realized he would have a better fight in bipedal mode. The black and silver Zord contorted quickly, standing up on its hind legs and forming a humanoid fighting machine.

Scorpius' Spider machine was skittering as nimbly as a truly massive fighting machine could. A diffuse, blue glow from the lighted tubing on the machine was cast across the landscape. As Mike guided ToroZord toward the Spider, he wondered if the glowing tubing was going to electrocute him.

"One way to find out," he muttered to himself. At his command, ToroZord reached out and grabbed one of the Spider's legs. The grinding of machinery filled the air, but Mike and his Zord held their ground.

Kai and GorillaZord lumbered across the landscape with heavy, pounding steps. Scorpius' Spider was trying to pull free of ToroZord's grip, just as Kai's Zord grabbed the leg directly opposite Mike. "Mike, let's pull him in half!" Kai shouted.

"Good game," Mike agreed. "Go!" In unison, the two bipedal Zords dug their heels into the ground and pulled, metal screaming as they did so.

The world flew past the cockpit in the nose of Damon's CondorZord. "Arming missiles," the Green Ranger said. "Kendrix, Maya, Leo... Steer clear. I've got a clear shot!"

"He's all yours, Damon," Kendrix promised.

From high in the atmosphere, CondorZord screamed through the air, leveling out as it neared the ground. Damon dodged a few trees nimbly, soaring directly at the Spider. "Fire!" he cried, shooting a single, green missile at it. The missile struck one leg, making it explode both internally and externally, all the way from the source of impact to the point of attachment. The metal appendage broke free of the Spider and hit the ground, burning. At the same moment, the legs that Kai and Mike were pulling one snapped off, sending the two Zords tumbling backwards.

Damon attempted to fly beneath the now-five-legged Spider, but just as cleared the mammoth machine, one of the legs lifted off of the ground and pointed at Damon. A beam of blue light shot out of the tip of the leg, striking the green, flying Zord and immobilizing it.

"I'm stuck!" Damon cried. He pushed hard on the control lever in his cockpit. CondorZord wobbled in place, but the intense beam of energy kept him trapped. "Scorpius' got me in some sort of electromagnetic deadlock! I can't break free!"

"Hang on, Damon!" Mike shouted.

"I'm burning up in here!" Damon cried.

"Damon, use your thrusters!" Maya shouted.

"Déjà vu," Damon muttered as he followed her suggestion. With a boom, the energy field was broken and CondorZord flew wildly out of control and spun dizzyingly up into the blue, Mirinoan sky.

"Now!" Leo cried. Maya's WolfZord and Kendrix's WildcatZord ran out of hiding. WolfZord leapt off of the ground and sailed for the Spider, but one leg stabbed out and impaled the Zord through the abdomen, skewering it and waving it above the ground.

"Maya!" Mike shouted.

"I'm okay!" she yelled, even as her Zord was whipped about frantically. The Zord's legs flailed desperately, but she was in no position to save her. Maya tried to turn the Zord's head to fire at Scorpius, but as soon as she did, a blue laser shot from Scorpius' Dome and sent malfunction warnings sounding in the cockpit.

WildcatZord jumped at the Spider, clawing at the Spider's legs. Opening its metallic mouth, the Zord clamped down on one of the legs and yanked. Blue sparks shot from the metal wound. As the leg rose into the air to stomp WildcatZord, Kendrix pushed the pink and silver Zord into a tumble. The spider leg slammed into the ground, and WildcatZord ran out from beneath the Spider.

"Hold on, Maya!" Leo cried. His fingers typed in a few commands, and two missiles, one red and one yellow, shot out of LionZord and hit the leg that Maya's Zord was impaled on. The leg exploded at the place of contact and fell off of the Spider's body. LionZord quickly ran over to the fallen leg, bit down into the metal, and pulled it away from the four-legged Spider.

"Everybody clear!" Damon suddenly shouted over the communications system. Leo looked out of the window in LionZord's cockpit. Streaming through the atmosphere was four green, gleaming rockets. Scorpius detected them a moment too late, and he had only turned around in his orb when the rockets struck the Spider. It exploded in a giant blue fireball, and the force blew Maya and Leo's Zords backwards, displacing them but leaving them none the worse for wear.

"All right, Damon!" Kendrix cried happily.

"What do we do with the Zords now?" Kai asked. Slowly, the land-based Zords regrouped, joined by CondorZord hovering above them.

"Where did the Zords even come from?" Maya asked. Her Zord was still impaled on the Spider's disembodied leg, but the Zord didn't seem overly distressed, so she wasn't worrying about it. "I-"

"Guys!" Damon shouted. "Look!"

From the flaming blue wreckage on the ground, a flying saucer-shaped object with Scorpius perched atop in a clear dome arose. "Did you truly believe you could destroy me so easily?" Scorpius asked, his deep voice echoing across the landscape.

"Uh oh," Kai muttered.

"MegaZord, guys!" Leo cried.

"I'll buy you some time," Mike shouted. ToroZord lifted its hands above its head, and in a flash of light, a staff appeared. Brandishing it like a sword, Mike pushed his Zord into battle.

He swung the staff at Scorpius, but the hovering craft, the only remains of the giant Spider, dodged the blow. Three quick laser beams shot from the craft and hit ToroZord's staff, knocking it out of the Zord's hands. Mike was undaunted, though, and he began to put ToroZord through a series of martial arts-style movements. The Zord had a great range of movement, but as the Zord's foot connected with Scorpius' craft, he was blasted directly in the chest.

The GalactaZords began to shift and mutate as they began the transformation process. WolfZord lifted into the air, and as the process began, the Spider leg was dislodged. It was quickly apparent as the Galaxy MegaZord assembled that they were going to have a weakness in the MegaZord. It was something they would just have to deal with.

The wings of the CondorZord wrapped around the torso of the MegaZord, locking it in place, and the five Rangers were teleported into the main cockpit of the Zord. The cockpit was divided into two levels, with Leo sitting in the top center with Kendrix to his left and Damon to his right. Maya sat lower right, with Kai at lower left. Before each Ranger was a highly specialized control panel. "Online!" they all shouted as the panels lit up.

"Left leg is going to be a weakness," Kendrix announced. "We can't put all of our weight on it."

Scorpius flew directly at the MegaZord, aimed at their chest. "Galaxy Saber!" the Rangers shouted. White light flashed as the Zord's Sword appeared before them. The MegaZord slashed at Scorpius, but he merely rose higher in the sky, dodging the strike.

"See if you can hit me now, Rangers!" Scorpius shouted. He flew even higher into the sky. As soon as the craft was almost out of sight, lasers began raining down on them.

"We have flight capabilities," Damon said.

"We're going to have to fly," Kai agreed. "That'll get rid of our injured leg liability, too."

The Saber disappeared in a glimmer of light as Maya commented, "I'm charging rockets, missiles, and lasers. That'll be our only defense off the ground."

"Damon, expand wings," Leo ordered. He reached out, grabbed the two control levers before him, and pulled back. "Mike, we'll be back in a few."

"Be careful," he said as the Galaxy MegaZord lifted off of the ground and darted up into the sky.

As soon as Scorpius realized the Rangers were following him, he flew even higher, going through the progressively darker layers of the atmosphere until he was completely out of Mirinoi's orbit.

"Take a good look at Mirinoi, Rangers," Scorpius taunted as the MegaZord reached him. "It'll be your last!"

"Leo, keep us moving," Kendrix said. The Red Ranger, alone, had control of the MegaZord's movements. Maya and Kai each had control of the weapons, while Kendrix and Damon were scanning Scorpius' craft as quickly as their computers would allow.

"Kendrix, I don't think there are any weak spots," Damon told her.

"There has to be."

"Should we fire?" Kai asked.

"Save 'em," Leo said. "We can't waste our reserves with wild-" He stopped with a grunt as he forced the MegaZord to the left, narrowly dodging a blast.

"Scorpius wobbled when we moved," Damon realized. "He must be centering himself on us."

"I've got the same idea, Damon," Leo said. "Rangers, hold on!"

The Rangers in the cockpit lurched before the gravity equalizers took effect. Once that happened, they were only presented with a view of Scorpius, the reddish sun, and Mirinoi spinning across the wide cockpit window.

"He's in a spin!" Kendrix cried.

"FIRE!" Leo shouted.

At once, Maya and Kai released the MegaZord's entire arsenal. A barrage of rockets, missiles, and lasers fired directly at Scorpius, striking the UFO-shaped craft. It exploded in a spherical cloud. From the bottom dropped the burning remains of his craft that plummeted back to the planet.

"Let's teleport to the surface," Leo said. The Galaxy MegaZord flickered white as it faded away, and five streams of colored light shot down to Mirinoi.

The Rangers reached the ground just a few seconds after the smoking remains of Scorpius' craft struck the surface. Mike, out of ToroZord, and Ninjor were close by. "Did we get him?" Kai asked, looking at the burning wreckage.

A long, orange appendage flopped out of the rubble. Faint flames burned along the surface. "He's not dead," Ninjor said.

Leo and Damon moved to the wreckage and lifted the shattered dome, blackened from smoke, aside. Beneath lay the dying remains of Scorpius. He was no longer huge; he was just an ordinary, mortal-sized monster. "Please," Scorpius rasped, his mandibles barely moving. "I have a daughter."

Maya walked up to Scorpius, staring down at the dying insect king. She placed her hand at her left hip and freed her Saber from its holster. Without saying a word, she lifted her Saber above her head in both hands and plunged it in his back. Scorpius grunted once, spewing orange bile from his mouth.

"Now he's dead," Ninjor commented.

"Let's get back to Trista," Maya said simply.

Deviot's weapon was glowing bright, a globe of light engulfing the weapon and his hand. "You are going to let me go," he growled, his hand trained on Dulcea.

"Kill him!" she ordered. The Senturions kept their pistols trained on the monster, but their training prevented them from blindly following such an order.

Suddenly, white light burst through the cavern, illuminating anything. Deviot threw his head back and screamed. His weapon fell from his hand, the excess energy discharging uselessly. The scream ended abruptly, and the light streamed back out of the cavern. Deviot stood completely still, but he was already vastly changed. He was completely grey, and then, he fell to the ground as tiny grains of sand, completely decimated.

"Are you okay?" Shondra asked from the mouth of the cave. She was standing there with the chest that had held the Lights of Orion open.

"You freed the Lights?" Dulcea asked. She gestured to Purple Senturion, and the female robot helped Dulcea out from beneath the stalactite.

"It seemed like a good idea," she said. "Wasn't it?"

"It destroyed Deviot," Blue Senturion remarked. "I think it was a good idea."

Dulcea wrapped an arm around each of the Senturions, using her good foot to hop. "It was," Dulcea agreed. Smiling, she said, "Thank you, Shondra."

Shondra walked out of the cave, the Senturions and Dulcea a few steps behind, and looked at the world before her. The Lights of Orion were streaming in every direction like a wall of water. "What's it doing?" Shondra asked, looking back at the other three.

"I've seen this before," Dulcea said.

"Bad news, my Queen," Kegler said frantically as he scurried through the water in the palatial room. "Your father..."

"I know," Trakeena said sadly. A square portal of light on the wall showed the burning remains of Scorpius' craft and his dead body. She angrily punched the portal, disrupting the image, and snarled angrily, "They WILL pay."

"There is more bad news," Villamax called as he ran to join them. "We're the only three left. Everyone else is dead."

"Deviot, Fur-," Trakeena started.

"Everyone," Villamax said. "Someone released the Lights of Orion. It's killing all evil on the planet. We have about ten seconds before it gets here. We need to leave the planet."

"Let's just go to one of their moons," Trakeena said. "That's-"

"Not far enough away," Villamax insisted. "We have to leave the solar system."

"The Rangers are from Earth," Kegler suggested. "We could go there and wait for them..."

"Dulcea lives on Earth, too," Trakeena realized, scowling. Producing her staff, she waved it in the air above the only surviving members of Scorpius' army. They disappeared only a few seconds before the Lights of Orion crashed through their underground kingdom.

"Looks like we won't need to find a counter spell," Maya said happily. The six Rangers, helmetless, and Ninjor arrived at Trista just moments after the Lights of Orion had cleansed the land. Everyone who had been turned to stone was reanimated. News spread quickly, and a celebration was already underway.

"Maya!" Shondra cried as she ran up to them.

"Shondra!" Maya returned, hugging her friend tightly. "Are you okay?"

"I found and freed the Lights," Shondra said with a smile.

"It looks like the Lights have found a new home," Ninjor commented. The Lights, apparently composed of six distinct orbs, were in orbit around the planet after cleansing the entire landscape. Each orb was a separate color, one for each of the Galaxy Rangers, but they were so bright, they could even be seen through the brilliance of the sun.

"The Sabers have protected Mirinoi," Maya said. She looked over to the Quasar Stone, which was magically in one piece. Removing her Saber from its holster, she walked over to the Stone and said, "We must return them in case they are needed again."

Solemnly holding the Saber in her hands, she guided the tip to the very spot she had pulled the Saber from just a few hours before. However, as she began to push the Saber into the Stone, yellow light burst from the contact point. Try as she might, she couldn't get the Saber to rejoin the Quasar Stone.

"The Lights were destined to work with the Rangers to protect Mirinoi," Jara said as he approached her. "But they will have to defend Mirinoi alone..."

"Pater?" Maya asked. "What are you talking about? Why can't I return the Saber?"

"Trakeena, Kegler, and Villamax have fled to Earth," Jara explained. "They're expecting the six of you to follow."

"Especially since most of us are from Earth," Kendrix said.

"Maya," Jara began, "you know what you must do."

"Earth," Maya said softly. Looking at the others, she sadly asked, "Is Earth a nice place to live?" With a sad look on her face, she said, "I need to say goodbye to my parents, first."

"What's going on?" Leo asked.

"Trakeena has gone to Earth," Dulcea told the Galaxy Rangers. "Your job, I'm afraid, isn't done. You must take your powers back to Earth and continue your fight."

"And Maya has to come with us," Kai said, sad for her predicament.

"We have an excellent communication system on Earth," Dulcea assured the Yellow Ranger. "You will not have to be cut off from your friends and family here. You can return for a brief visit at any time you like."

"That'll help," Maya agreed, laughing nervously. "Where will I stay?"

"You can stay with me as long as you need to," Kendrix promised.

"Can I stay with you, too?" Shondra asked.

"Shondra?" Maya asked.

"I thought you could use a friend," Shondra said.

"Of course, you both can," Kendrix said.

Mike added, "I'm sure I can get you both jobs with the GSA, too. If you want to, of course."

"Come on," Maya said to Shondra, smiling happily. "Let's go get grab some essentials."

The five Earth Rangers sat together near the Quasar Stone, morphed but helmetless. Due to their various states of dress while demorphed, they had opted to remain morphed for the time being. It just made things simpler.

"It's not even sunrise on Earth yet," Kendrix commented.

"I never thought my day would start like this," Kai said.

"So, what do you guys do at this GSA?" Damon asked. "That's the General Space Academy, right?"

"Damon, what would you say about working with the GSA?" Mike asked.

"I have a job," Damon said. "I'm a mechanic."

"GSA pays more and has better benefits," Mike said.

"You don't even know what my job is," Damon said, "but hey, if the GSA pays more and has better benefits, sign me up."

"I was just thinking... It might be a good idea for us all to work together," Mike continued. At Damon and Leo's confused expressions, he laughed and said, "I'll explain later."

"I'll be glad to get to a hospital," Dulcea groaned. Ninjor had wrapped her ankle as tightly as he could, but she was already used to Earth medicine and was eager to get it x-rayed and seen to.

"I can't believe I'm a Power Ranger," Leo said, a smile in his voice. "This is..."

"A lot of hard work," Dulcea said. "Some days, you'll wonder if you'll live to see another sunset, and a week doesn't go by that you're faced with the very real possibility of the entire planet falling into the hands of evil because of something you did or did not do. It's a hard job."

"I bet it's rewarding, though," Kai mused.

"The fight against evil is very rewarding," Dulcea promised.

"We're ready," Maya called as she and Shondra approached the Stone. Cullen, behind them, was carrying a satchel of supplies for them.

"I'll escort you to Phaedos, Dulcea," Ninjor said, helping the warrior to her feet.

"Thank you, Ninjor. And don't be gone so long this time." In small clumps, they began to enter the portal that would take them to Phaedos. From there, radio contact with Earth could be made, and the rest of the trip would be a relatively simple teleportation.

"You'll like Earth," Leo said to Maya and Shondra as the others entered the vortex. "It's a nice planet."

"I hope you're right," Shondra muttered.

"Stay in touch," Cullen insisted, placing his hand on Maya's shoulder.

"We will," Maya promised. She took one last look at her surroundings, waved to her family watching from a safe distance, and then entered the vortex. She didn't know when she would return to Mirinoi, despite being one of the planet's prophesied protectors. Mirinoi was protected by the Lights of Orion, though. Her destiny called her elsewhere.

Earth
The Rangers had all gone back home to get rest. A standard motivational speech had been given by Dimitria, but sensing that the Rangers wanted to return home, the speech was cut short. Alpha Five passed out communicators with a promise to contact them later.

The sun was just barely peeking over the horizon when Kendrix escorted Shondra and Maya into her modest apartment. "I'll try and get an extra bed in here soon," Kendrix said as she gave her new roommates the brief tour.

"This will be fine," Shondra said, placing her satchel on the foldout couch bed. "We- What's that?"

"Telephone. Means of communication," Kendrix answered, reaching for the cordless. "Hello?"

"It's Mike. Can you three come to GSA HQ as quickly as you can? I didn't want to say anything in the Power Station, but... there's something here we think you might be interested in. Something big."

"Of course. We'll be right there."

"You work here?" Maya asked, looking around as they walked through the GSA base. There was nothing even comparable to such structures on Mirinoi.

"You will too, soon," Kendrix said. Maya and Shondra looked quite out of place in their Mirinoan garb next to Kendrix in her grey and dark pink uniform as they hurried to the main building. Kendrix already had her badge out to show one of the guards at the entrance, but Mike was standing there waiting for her.

"They're with me," Mike said, opening the door wide.

"What's this about, Mike?" Kendrix asked. Immediately inside the building was a giant, open-air room. The walls and ceiling were all made of glass, and the room was filled with beautiful, early morning light. Maya and Shondra barely had a chance to take in the sight before they were all ushered down an out of the way hallway.

"I'm going to need all three of you to sign an affidavit before we enter," Mike said as they reached the armed guard seated before an elevator. The guard was seated at a desk, and on the desk were three legal forms.

"What's an affidavit?" Shondra asked.

"It's a promise that you won't disclose anything that you seen beyond these doors," Mike instructed, "under penalty of law. It's not something to take lightly."

"Secretive," Maya realized. "We can do that."

"We've already created Earth personas for both of you," Mike said, handing the two Mirinoans a thick folder. "You can look over your information later, but for now, all you need to know is that your Earth names are Maya Lawrence and Shondra Winslet."

Maya picked up the ink pen, and holding it awkwardly, scratched a few characters on the form at the spot the guard pointed out. Shondra did likewise, and Mike quickly realized a problem in the plan. The characters they were using were completely foreign.

"Good enough for now," he said. The guard nodded and stepped aside, allowing Mike access to the elevator. He flashed a card at sensor pad near the door, and it opened effortlessly. The four entered silently, but as soon as the doors shut and the elevator began to descend, Mike continued talking.

"You are about to enter an area of the GSA code-named Mariner Bay," he said. "It is so named because the base is located off-shore and underwater. The public does not know about Mariner Bay."

"Why the secrecy?" Maya asked.

"You'll see in a moment," Mike answered. "The reason you are being brought here is because you are a Power Ranger. Or, in your case, Shondra, closely affiliated with the Rangers. As per the legal document you just signed, you cannot speak of anything that takes place in Mariner Bay outside of Mariner Bay. At this moment in time, you cannot even discuss the events that transpire down here among each other on the surface. We don't want this operation to seem scary or dangerous, because it isn't. We just need it to be kept completely secret."

"This is quite a bit different than what we do in the public's eye, isn't it?" Kendrix asked.

"You have no idea," Mike said. "You will all be assigned badges. Those are to be worn at all times on GSA property. It is never to be worn off of GSA property. You will also be given a card that should be carried with you in public at all times. You will also find that there are portals all over Angel Grove, Stone Canyon, and Silver Falls that leads to Mariner Bay. Those cards will be needed to access the portals."

"How long is this elevator ride?" Kendrix asked. "Are we going sideways now?"

"We're almost there," Mike told her. The last few seconds of the ride were in complete silence. But then, the door opened, and they were standing before an underwater tunnel.

This time, Kendrix did as much looking as Shondra and Mike as they walked down the tunnel. The walls were clear, but they were apparently not deep enough to block sunlight. Ahead of them were a series of domes and more interconnecting tunnels.

"This is Mariner Bay?" Shondra asked.

"This is part of Mariner Bay," Mike answered.

"Greetings, Ms. Morgan," Cmdr. Stanton called. "Ms. Lawrence, Ms. Winslet, it's an honor to have you here. My name is Cmdr. Stanton."

"Nice to meet you," Maya spoke.

"Mr. Corbett, have you debriefed them?"

"Not fully, sir, but they understand the secrecy of this project."

"Very well," Cmdr. Stanton said. "Please follow me."

"This series of domes is the Lightspeed Underwater Base," Mike told them as they followed Cmdr. Stanton deeper into the dome. All around them were various work consoles where technicians and GSA employees of various rank and designation worked. "It is part of Mariner Bay, but it is not Mariner Bay in its entirety."

"What do you do here?" Kendrix asked, looking around.

"That's what you are about to find out," Cmdr. Stanton said. "Your fellow Rangers are already here." He led them down a short stairwell with a curved ceiling above it. Beneath was a mirrored wall, but when he flashed his card before the wall, a crack appeared in the surface and a door slid open.

The room was just polished walls of light with a silver, kidney-shaped table in the center of the room. The other Galaxy Rangers were sitting around it, but save for Mike, they all had similar looks of confusion on their faces.

"Captain Mitchell, Ms. Fairweather? They've arrived," Cmdr. Stanton spoke into a device on his wrist. The two, one a balding but fit middle-aged man and the other a young, lovely brunette, entered the room.

"Welcome to the Lightspeed Underwater Base," Captain Mitchell said. "All of this did not exist last Friday."

"You built this in one week?" Kai interrupted.

"One day, actually," Ms. Fairweather said. "But we didn't really build it. It was one of several gifts from an alien civilization."

"Last Friday, a being known as Zordon gave a great sacrifice," Cmdr. Stanton said, continuing the tale. "He released his life energies in a wave of pure, selfless energy that purged the universe of almost all evil. The only evil that survived is currently attacking the Earth. There is no evil elsewhere, currently."

"A planet in this galaxy known as Aquitar contacted us," Captain Mitchell said. "They had a team of five Rangers, and they were donating their powers to our planet. The powers were given to us, and a member of the Aquitian Ranger team volunteered to come here as well to work with us for an indeterminate length of time. The only way this Ranger could stay with us safely for an extended length of time was to be underwater. Using Aquitian technology and a design for a typical Aquitian city, the Lightspeed Base was constructed."

"Working closely with this Ranger and using the Aquitian morphers as a template, we designed our own set of morphers," Ms. Fairweather said. "It is currently a team of five Rangers. We have a sixth morpher, but it is highly unstable at the moment."

"If and when it was fixed, I would have become the sixth Ranger," Mike added.

"We were planning to release news of this new team, the Lightspeed Rangers, to the public in a few weeks," Captain Mitchell told them. "They will be based here, and they will serve as an additional back-up to the current Rangers."

"Since the Earth already has a team of Rangers, and as luck would have it, they are intimately involved with the GSA, we've decided to bring you onboard as well," Cmdr. Stanton said. "We understand that you already have an allegiance with the other Rangers, and we want to stress that this allegiance will not be compromised. We have already been working closely with Dimitria, and she both knows about and supports our program here. In fact, she was the one who referred us to the Aquitians."

"If you are ready, we'd like to introduce you to the Lightspeed Rangers and the Lightspeed Council," Ms. Fairweather said. "The Council is composed of three groups, and each of us is head of one group."

"We'll be forming the fourth group," Mike said to the Galaxy Rangers.

Cmdr. Stanton opened a door and walked in. The others were close behind, finding a similar but larger around. The people in the room were clearly divided into three teams, as there were three tables, each of a different color, with people sitting around them.

"I'll introduce my team first," Captain Mitchell volunteered. Stepping over to a white table with five young adults around it, he said, "These are the Lightspeed Rangers. Carter Grayson, Red Ranger."

The young Ranger gave a brief nod and a smile.

"Joel Rawlings, Green Ranger."

"I'm the Sky Cowboy," Joel said with a harmless but cocky grin. He tipped his cowboy hat in greeting.

"Dana Mitchell, my daughter, and Pink Ranger," Captain Mitchell continued.

"I'm the baby of the team," Dana admitted with a grin. "For what it's worth, I'm also a paramedic."

"Kelsey Winslow, Yellow Ranger." The Yellow Ranger followed Carter's lead and said nothing. She only gave a subdued wave.

"And lastly, Chad Lee, Blue Ranger."

"I'm serving double duty right now," he said. "I'm working at Sea World Angel Grove, too."

"Eventually," Captain Mitchell finished, "We will have a sixth Lightspeed Ranger." He jokingly added, "But since Mike went off and found his own powers, I suppose we'll have to have another search later."

"I've got the Civilians," Ms. Fairweather said, joining a trio of ordinary humans at a round, clear glass table. All three were wearing black GSA-issue jumpsuits, unzipped to reveal a colored t-shirt beneath. Also, they were extremely young. "I'm sure you've noticed that my team is the youngest. We have a good reason for that. Young people tend to keep secrets better-"

As she said that, she cast a sideways glance at Joel. He pretended not to notice, but diverted his gaze, nonetheless.

"-and they also reveal the best mirror of society. The four of us will work closely, but anonymously, with the public in regards to GSA, Mariner Bay, and the Lightspeed Rangers."

She gestured to who looked to be the youngest member of the group, a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl with shoulder-length, shiny red hair. The t-shirt beneath her jumpsuit was a subdued shade of blue. "This is Brooke Hillard. You may recognize her as being a younger sister of Katherine Hillard, who just happens to be the Pink Zeo Ranger."

To Brooke's left was a black boy about fifteen, wearing a red t-shirt. "This young man is Hunter Wilson. And, like Brooke, he's the younger sibling of a Ranger. His older brother is Murray Wilson, Green Turbo."

"It came as quite a surprise to me," Hunter said with a grin.

"The last member of my group is the oldest member," Ms. Fairweather began. "She's fifteen, and she comes from a different dimension. Like the others, she's the younger sibling of a Ranger as well. Her older sister is one of the original five Rangers, the Yellow Ranger Trini Kwan. This is Sydney Kwan." Sydney, with a pink t-shirt, said nothing as she brushed a strand of grey hair out of her eyes and smiled.

"I'm overseeing the team nicknamed the Space Unit," Cmdr. Stanton said, approaching a diverse group at a black table. "Of course, some of us aren't from space. We just aren't from here. Nadia?"

"I'm Nadia, an archangel," she explained. She was a beautiful blonde dressed in blue denim shorts and a pink top. On the table before her was a glistening, Sapphire sword. "I was also a villain in another dimension. That's why I'm here. I was intimately involved with the other side. She suggested me," she added, motioning to the women next to her.

The woman next to Nadia was wearing a flowing white gown, and she had shiny blue hair. "I'm Catalina of Eltare," she said. "I've mentored many teams of Rangers in my life."

"This lady is Delphine, former White Ranger of Aquitar," Cmdr. Stanton said. She placed her hands together and bowed in an Aquitian greeting.

The last member of the Council was a man, although his identity wasn't known. He was tall and muscular, and from the way he was sitting, he was obviously exhausted, but that was all one could tell about him. He was a Ranger, wearing the White Aquitian Armor. "This member of the Council wouldn't be here today if it weren't for Delphine," Cmdr. Stanton said. "He almost died last Friday, but Delphine was able to gather up enough of his life force and place him in her protective Ranger powers to keep him alive."

"I'm slowly regaining my strength," the Ranger said, "but for now, I will not be able to help you in a physical fight. I can never demorph or I will die, but my fight in this world is apparently not over." A slight smile could be heard in his voice as he finished, "I am Zordon of Eltare."

End