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Disclaimer: Whomever is holding the rights to the Power Rangers I guess
owns it now.....whatever. Oh, yeah *happy dance* WHOOPEEE!!! I figured
how to remove those stinkin' HTML tags without sitting here for hours on
end doing it by hand!!! My readers are gonna be SOOOO happy they don't
have to put up with seeing them each and every paragraph!!! (at least the
ones on ff.net.....)
By ZeoViolet Of course, as usual, the day in Angel Grove was perfect. The breeze was cool, the sky was a vivid, deep hue of blue, and the Earth was green. Six whirlwinds of monochromatic color streaked through Angel Grove Park on rollerblades that morning, intent on having a good time after the latest onslaught by Astronema. To the startled observer scrambling to get out of their path, the group was going swiftly enough to be a blur of six colors: red, yellow, blue, pink, black, and violet-purple. After the swift sidestep to avoid the mad dash, the observer would catch their breath and smile, glad the kids were taking advantage of the perfect weather and having fun. "Andros!" Yelped Ashley as her boyfriend in red pulled her along at a breathtaking pace. "How do you know how to rollerblade so well? Haven't you spent much of your life in space?" "You know how I told you Earth is not the only place where humans live?" he called out, not in the slightest out of breath. Well, it is also not the only place where rollerblades are found." "Androoosss..." she tried to stifle a groan and a giggle at the same time, "you really must slow down. I am out of breath." He also laughed, obliging her. The whole group slowed down. "That is what you get for not practicing in double gravity like I advise you to. You think that average gravity is hard." "You want hard?" she panted indignantly, turning to face him. "Hard? I'll show you hard!" So saying, she grabbed him and pressed her lips against his, hard. He stiffened in utter surprise, then relaxed, forgetting the group of giggling friends nearby. "Ever notice how quickly they get to the heart of matters, TJ?" whispered Cassie. "You got that right," the dark-skinned boy snickered to his black-haired companion. "They sure can move quickly." Pulling up behind, a bit more slowly, were a Hispanic boy in black and a golden-haired girl in purple. They looked at Andros and Ashley in amusement, but said nothing to interrupt. They understood what went through the minds of the two kissing rangers at times like this, but they could not help but smile at the cute picture they created. "Don't they ever come up for air?" whispered Carlos at last. Cassie and TJ giggled, and they saw Ashley blush. She had heard them and finally realized where they were. Reluctantly, though, she released Andros. He frowned, not really wanting to let her go, but his snickering friends made him decide to finish the "matter" later. Carlos laughed again and pulled Sharie ahead with him, the other rangers trailing behind, more slowly this time. "So..." he said, not sure of what to say. "Will Trey be back soon?" "Sooner or later. He is a good diplomat, you know, but he admits that it often bores him to go to meetings." "Poor guy," said Carlos, smiling. "No sooner do you and he get back from Aquitar than he has to leave again. And now, he has to squeeze Delphine into the mix." "Would you say that about us?" she asked, looking at him pointedly. "I often have to be gone, Carlos, but I still am involved with *you*." His smile faded and he blushed. "I hope I do not sideline you too much, Querida," he said quietly. She stopped, realizing then how her words had sounded. She looked contrite and guilty at once. "Oh, Carlos, I am sorry! I did not mean it that way, honest! You and my brother are the most important people to me I could ever have, and I treasure you above all else. Don't ever doubt it. Forgive me?" The other rangers were skating past, looking at them oddly but saying nothing to interrupt, only going on, with the occasional glance over the shoulder. Neither person noticed. Carlos sighed. "It is all right, Querida. I understand you are often busy, and frankly, I am glad you found the time to join us now. I love you too, more than anything." He looked into her great violet-purple eyes, glittering with guilt. That and pain still seemed to come to her eyes most easily, and Carlos hated it when it did happen. He cupped her chin. "Don't ever doubt me on it, either," he echoed her words and his own. Gently, his mouth lowered to hers in a sweet kiss of promise. Finally, letting her go, he took her hand and sped up to catch up with the others, far ahead by this time. **** Her eyes had gone distant again. He did not like it when she did that, when those purple depths glazed over and saw through everything, including him. Her hand was still clasped in his, but it was limp, and she no longer seemed to really be aware of where she was when her mind took her into the past, which had been caused, he suspected, by their earlier conversation. Gods, why did he still know so little about her? He knew that, even after all that had happened, he only knew the tiniest of fractions of her past, or her brother's. She had been an active power ranger since she was eight years old, and had traveled far, experiencing things that he could not begin to dream of. "Hey, guys!" he called to the other rangers ahead of them. Sharie jumped, startled, and stared at him in surprise. "What?" called TJ, turning his head and almost running into a tree branch. "Sharie and I will take a different path. We will meet up with you later." "Sure," shrugged TJ, speeding up to rejoin the other rangers. Strangely, Sharie had said nothing. Her face was completely devoid of any real emotion, except puzzlement, and she followed where Carlos led her without a word, her eyes also blank and glazed-over. When they were alone, Carlos stopped and pulled Sharie over to a nearby bench. "Sit," he ordered. She did, surprising him further. He knew of no one more stubborn than Sharie... He sat beside her, taking a deep breath and trying to gentle his tone. "Now," he began, looking into her unresponsive gaze. "Would you *please* tell me what is going on? Sharie, don't you know how much I hate seeing you like this?" He cupped her chin, forcing her to acknowledge him. It worked, to an extent. Some of the glass left her eyes as she finally began to look him in the eye, but those depths remained blank otherwise. "Please," he begged softly. "Tell me what is bothering you, Querida. Stop locking yourself up." She shook her head. "I cannot tell you." It was a whispered response at best, but better than nothing. "*Why*?" he persisted, determined to get this out of her somehow. "You would--not want to hear it." Her eyes lowered, and color flooded her face. "How would you know that?" asked Carlos, struggling to keep the impatience out of his voice. "How would you know, unless you tried?" She closed her eyes, as if struggling with something. "You asked me not to doubt you," she said at last. "Yes. I hope you do not," he added quickly. "Of course not. I have never doubted you, you are one of the first people I met in a long time I could fully trust, Carlos. Too much of my life has been built on deceit, and I still have so many questions left unanswered, and I have no way of answering them...why am I telling you this?" "You said you trusted me, Querida." "I do!" he saw the truth fire up in her eyes. "Maybe it is too much at times. I cannot relate my whole life to you, Carlos! Besides overburdening you with sob stories, I cannot reveal what would place you and your friends in grave danger!" Though she said this, he could see something else in her eyes. Though she could not tell him, so she claimed, he had little doubt that she did *want* to tell him at least some things, if nothing else but to get it off her chest. But she did not dare. "Querida, we are power rangers, I think we could handle a little forbidden information if you want to talk, and I know you do. And you would *not*, repeat *not* overburden me with your problems. I often see what you are feeling shadowing your eyes, Sharie. You have got to let it out before it all turns to bitter resentment and you turn to ice. I would hate to see that happen." "I don't want to be an albatross around your neck." She started to pull away, but he stopped her firmly. "You won't be. How else must I prove it to you, Querida? I want to *know* about you. I know almost nothing, relatively speaking, and I know even less about your brother. I want to help, but how can I when I know nothing, nothing at all about what lies behind that controlled exterior of yours, and all your rage and frustration boils up inside you, unable to get free?" She sighed, not wanting to admit how right he was. Sometimes she was so on fire with white-hot rage she felt she would be driven to do some unforgivable things if she let loose. So she did not dare. What would her quiet, complacent people, on Earth or Triforia, think of her for giving in to such weakness? She was barely distracted by a tiny "meow", and was only mildly startled when a tiny kitten came dashing out of the bushes and headed straight for them, the hair on the tip of its tiny grey tail on end. It had caught Carlos's attention to, and that Sharie was grateful for. The kitten dashed behind her legs and crouched between them and the bench legs, trembling with fear, her blue eyes wide as she wailed pitifully. Sharie did not know what had frightened the kitten so, but she could not do nothing. She was an avid animal lover and had always longed for a pet, especially a cat, of her own, but had never managed to be able to get one. Still, she made soft, soothing sounds in her throat, crouching over and placing a gentle hand on the kitten's grey head. Carlos watched, bemused and a little fascinated, as the kitten stiffened for just a moment, then seemed to relax as the soothing sounds Sharie made calmed her. Slowly, she moved her hand, slipping it under the kitten and lifting her gently to cradle her against her chest. The kitten stopped trembling entirely, snuggling into Sharie's shirt and beginning to purr, feeling safe. Once she had the kitten sufficiently calmed, Sharie gently felt at the small neck. "She has a collar on, she must belong to somebody," she remarked, turning the collar to see the license tags. One said, "My name is Aura." The other one said, "If you find me, please return me to Jennie Sheffield. I miss her." It was followed by an address. "That is just across the street from Angel Grove Park!" exclaimed Carlos, stroking the little head. "This kitten did not run far." "Then I suggest we get her home," said Sharie, cradling the tiny body to her. The kitten mewed softly and escaped Sharie's grasp, only to climb up to her shoulder and settle there. "She misses her owner. I told her we will take her home." It took a moment for that to sink in. "You did...*what*?" he asked, wondering if he heard right. "I told her we are going to take her home. Cats are much smarter than you think, Carlos. They understand almost everything we say to them. I just used telepathy. She knows." Tongue-tied, Carlos followed behind Sharie as she skated off. *If cats can understand us, I wonder what they say about us...* **** "You found her!" exclaimed a brown-haired little girl, whose eyes were red, making it clear she had been crying. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou--" "That is enough thank-you's, Jennie," said Sharie gently as the little girl took the kitten and hugged her gently against her chest. "We found her and returned her, that is all." "My daughter was worried," said the girl's mother, appearing at the door. "She loves that kitten so much, it was a big deal when Aura turned up missing. I love the little thing myself. So again, thank you, you two." "No problem," said Carlos cheerfully. "Glad to help." After they had left, Carlos was deep in thought. He had not missed the eager look in Sharie's eye when she had held the kitten. She was obviously an animal-lover who desired one of her own, but never dared to get one. Something else also occurred to him, the fact that the kitten's timely arrival had prevented them from talking further about her past. And he was not sure now was the best time to bring up the subject again. It temporarily vanished from his mind when their communicators went off. **** "What is it, Alpha?" asked Carlos into his communicator. "Possible trouble, Rangers. But before I say anything further, Sharie, are you listening?" "Yes, I am." Sharie was not quite sure why she suddenly got a sick feeling in her stomach, and she was sure she would not like the reason. "I am detecting a wave of Drysera warships outside of the sector. They are a powerful race, but little is known about them. But I do know that they happened to fight a war with Triforia almost twelve years ago. It is the fleet headed by the one known as Dark Dresden. Could you provide us with any information about this evil race?" Carlos had never seen Sharie go as sheet-white as she did when she heard the name Dark Dresden, and the expression on her face went from numb, to horrified, her eyes flashing with rage and fear, before it all went blank again. Carlos stared at her, surprised. Then he remembered, it had been almost twelve years Sharie had lived on Earth. And the name Drysera--did she not say they had attacked Triforia then? "I--I will see what I can do, Alpha," Sharie managed to choke into her communicator before suddenly turning and burying her face into Carlos's chest. She trembled for a full minute before she whispered, strangely distant, "Come on, Carlos, let's go to the Megaship. I have to tell your team about Dark Dresden." She pulled back, not touching him at all. Her eyes were once again completely blank, devoid of any emotion whatsoever. It sent chills up Carlos's spine, wondering what this Dark Dresden had done to her world... **** The others were surprised, to put it mildly, to see Sharie so upset. She stood, leaning against a wall, her fingers tight as they gripped the wall behind her for support. Her eyes were haunted by old memories, and suddenly widened as waves of new ones hit her, hard. She suddenly gripped her forehead in her hands, and shook her head violently. It was as if a long-held barrier in her mind, suppressing memories she was not fit to deal with, had suddenly snapped. *Oh, Gods, oh, no! I remember!* Not all the memories of the time returned, and even with the barrier in place she had recalled a great deal of the horror of Dark Dresden's lifestyle. Too much had happened for her to forget it all. Over half the time she spent there had been blank, and now much of it came reeling back with a sudden, snapping force. Only dimly, over the roar of horrific images tumbling back, did Sharie recall where she was and that she had to deal with it somehow. She had to push it aside, stop feeling it....put it back under the barrier of her control, and get on as before..... Some spots in her memory still stayed mercifully blank, and for that she was glad. "I am sorry, guys," she managed at last in a choked whisper. "I am remembering things that my mind suppressed long ago. I expect they were because what I saw, nobody should ever have to witness or participate in." Andros looked sympathetic, but he had to ask. "So you know this Dark Dresden?" "Yes," she stammered. "Much to well. I want you to all listen closely, though what I tell you may make you ill." she swallowed before forcing herself to continue. "In many ways, Dark Dresden is like your typical bad guy you are bound to meet, a thief, cold, cruel, and quite merciless. But he is cruel in other ways that most intergalactic bad guys are not. I know him well enough, all right, for it was this man who was responsible for my kidnapping when I was five years old." There was an audible gasp, and Carlos came over to stand by Sharie for support. He took her hand, and she gripped his so hard he thought his bones would snap. She took no notice as she continued. "Dark Dresden is also evil in the sense of his sexual appetite. He likes women, and not just women, but girls as young as barely entering adolescence. Sometimes--" Sharie seemed to strangle on the word. "I do not recall seeing it, but sometimes, even younger." Sharie's grip on Carlos tightened even further, and he had to admit he had a hard time not yelping with sheer pain. He had no idea she was so strong. "When I was first brought to him, he looked me over as if I were a piece of chattel, a piece of trade goods--he even opened my mouth and counted my teeth. He said he would keep me for his servant, but once I was old enough to become a woman, I would become his...'comfort woman', as he put it." The words strangled in her throat, and she struggled to compose herself. "He was cruel, nonetheless. I was beaten more times than I cared to remember, and that was just the beginning. His lusts are well known, and older female prisoners of his are not spared from his driving senses. And I was his right-hand servant girl the three weeks I was his prisoner--I saw countless women fall victim to his...lusts, to be tossed aside until he wanted them again. He did not bother to shield my eyes, and their cries will haunt me for the rest of my life." Carlos was greenish, and he felt his stomach roll. He held onto her tightly. "You do not have to continue if you don't want to, Querida," he urged. "If this is too hard--" "*No*! I must tell this! If you are to face him, you must know about him, or he may not only come after me again, but Cassie and Ashley as well! And there is more you must know." TJ thought he was going to hurl, but he held onto his stomach and continued to listen. "Dark Dresden often taunted me about what he was going to do to me once I got old enough. He enjoyed doing his sick acts when I was within eyeshot or earshot, he was that way with many of his prisoners. There is much more I dare not tell you. I vowed to escape, which I eventually managed to do. "He thought I could never escape him, but I did. Much of what I related here I did not remember myself until now. I expect it was the idea he was coming again that snapped the memories back in place." By now, everyone looked nauseated. "Is there anything else?" asked Andros weakly. Sharie looked very sad all of a sudden, and she looked at Andros, seeming to steel herself to this. "Yes, Andros. What I have to say next especially concerns you. Dark Dresden also had a habit of trading goods he stole with other bad guys he came across. One of these individuals was Darkonda." Andros went white. "Andros, what I am about to say I did not remember until a few minutes ago. I was with Dark Dresden when he met with Darkonda at that time. With Darkonda was a little girl about my age. She had curly golden hair and was wearing a yellow outfit. Dark Dresden asked who she was. He answered that her name was Kerone and he had just kidnapped her from a space colony called KO-35. I'm afraid it was your sister, Andros." He started to tremble. "Dark Dresden looked her over, and asked what Darkonda intended to do with her. Darkonda said that he did not want the girl. Dark Dresden asked to purchase her, but Darkonda said only if any of his other prisoners had strong mental powers. Unfortunately, I was the only one. Dark Dresden refused to part with me because I think he intended to use my mental powers for some purpose or other, and since my brother happened to be Lord of Triforia, he figured I would make a good ransom piece. "Darkonda left in a huff, taking Kerone with him. I have not seen the little girl since then." While Sharie had been choking out what she had witnessed, Andros's face had gone from pale, to mottled, then completely scarlet with fury. "Damn!" he exploded. "Damn them all to hell!" The words spilled, unstoppable, from his lips. He sank down into a chair, burying his face in his hands, shaking all over. Ashley was there at once, trying to comfort her boyfriend. Still, they heard him whisper, "Kerone, why did I not keep a closer eye on you?" Sharie broke away from Carlos and knelt beside Andros, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I am so sorry, Andros," she whispered fiercely. "I wanted so desperately to help Kerone, but Dark Dresden had me chained to the wall at the time, since most of his men were out fighting. I could not get free." His head raised, and his tear-filled eyes, though angry, also reassured her. "It is all right, Sharie. I don't blame you. In fact, I am grateful to you for your insight. It's just that--well, it hurts so badly, sometimes." He shuddered, trying to get the visions of what had happened that horrible day from dancing in front of his eyes again. "I know. I swear to you that I will do everything possible to find your sister, and end this whole stupid charade." "How did she look?" he asked, almost fearfully. "Beaten, starved?" "No, she looked well cared for, but she was lonely and scared. She and I did speak while Dark Dresden and Darkonda were arguing. She does not blame you, Andros. So you should not blame yourself." "Maybe not," Andros sighed. "But it is still damned hard not to." "Incoming transmission," said DECA, for some reason her voice more quiet than usual. "Who is it from?" asked TJ, glad for the distraction. "It is from the Phantom Ranger," she answered soberly. Cassie's head came up at the name. "Put it on," she urged. The message was prerecorded, and they watched as Phantom's dark figure came on the screen. "I am on my way to Earth, Rangers." he said. "There is a fleet of Dryseran Warships headed toward you, and I believe you are in danger. I will meet you on Earth shortly." Sharie raised her head. "DECA, where is the fleet headed?" "Their current destination appears to be a planet about eight light-years from Earth." she responded. Sharie could not suppress a groan. "Wonderful. If he is setting up base camp that close to Earth, then he must be scoping Earth out for its riches. With Astronema so close, she has either given him her blessing or he has yet to contend with her. Plus, he may have another reason to be here. Me." "You?" echoed Ashley. "Yes, I still know many forbidden things about his people, and it is death for any non-dryseran to know these things. And I did escape him, made a fool out of him. I believe he would like to see me dead." "I think that we had better keep an eye on things for now," said Andros, his eyes dark. "Or Earth could be in big trouble." "Big trouble is right," said Sharie, her face once again devoid of any emotion as she fought to control her inner turmoil. "I am going to contact my brother. He and I know Dryseran battle tactics, and we both have a score to settle with this louse if he tries anything stupid. Besides, we are going to need all the help we can get." **** "Do you mind if I use your communications system, Andros?" asked Sharie quietly. He shrugged, his eyes distant after what she had told him. "Go ahead." Sharie nodded and went to a nearby console. "I will meet up with you and the Phantom Ranger later," she said over her shoulder. "There are some things I need taken care of, first." Andros only nodded as the rangers headed out the door toward their teleportation tubes. *Be careful, Querida.* she blinked in surprise. How had he done that? She had not taught him yet...or her mental barriers were not up as far as they needed to be. *I will try, Carlos,* she sent back, either way. She saw a startled expression, followed by a slight smile, cross his face just as the door closed. Sharie turned back to the console. "DECA, open a channel to Triforia." "Channel open." DECA, I am going to input a special lockdown sequence to prevent the conversation between myself and Triforia from being overheard by someone who should not listen. Understand?" "Understood." DECA made no protest as Sharie added the sequence, locking the signal down for protection. "Send the signal directly to the Royal House, DECA." "Complying." The computer, usually of the nosy type, made no comment, seeming to sense how important this was. Receiving response." The screen in front of Sharie turned on, to reveal a boy with dark hair and blue eyes staring intently at her. "This is the Royal House of Triforia, Troy speaking." "Troy," she said to her brother's best friend. "Is Trey back yet? This is an emergency. I must speak to him at once." "He is," said the boy with obvious surprise. "But why--" "Get him, now! I must talk to him!" The boy made no further comments, only nodded and vanished from the screen. Sharie tapped her toes impatiently as the moments passed, her anxiety growing. She pressed her fingers against her temples, trying to will the images dancing in front of her eyes away. She did not want to remember, but the memories kept springing up.... "Trey here," said a somewhat breathless voice, as her brother suddenly appeared at the terminal. An immediate look of concern crossed his face. "What is wrong, Lalinka?" Sharie opened her eyes and dropped her hands. She had not meant for him to see her like that. "Trey," she said, switching to an almost-unused Triforian dialect which few offworlders knew. "Speak to me only in this language." His dark eyes widened in surprise, but he did not question her. "Like this?" he responded in the same difficult dialect. She nodded her head, steeling herself for what she had to say. "Trey, we have a major problem on our hands. *He* is back. Dark Dresden is setting up base camp on a planet eight light-years from Earth. I fear that this planet is his next target." She watched as her brother's face went pale, his eyes reflecting the churning in her own stomach.. "Dark Dresden? Not the same person who--" "Yes, Trey, the same person who was responsible for my kidnapping all those years ago." Trey was outraged. She watched in surprise as his dark eyes flashed, he was fighting to suppress a temper he almost never showed. "Dark Dresden! What is that Hock'Thath doing in our local galaxy cluster? I thought we had made sure we had banished him!" "Trey!" Sharie was a bit beyond shocked now. "As mad as you are, must you use words like that?" At her reprimanding, yet pleading tone, he quieted. "Sorry, Lalinka. You and I both still have a personal score to settle with that cruel monster, for not only what he did to you, but for his crimes against many worlds and his many victims." "Can you come to Earth? We are going to need all the help we can get." His eyes flashing, he nodded. "I will be there shortly, Lalinka." "Did you finish building your own Zeo Universal Surfer?" "Yes, but I still do not know how to use it, and I have not taken it for any trial runs." "You can do it over here. I will teach you tonight. The Lightstar Rangers and I are keeping a close eye on the Dryseran Fleet, and we also may have the help of the Phantom Ranger." "They Pyramidas is ready. At top speed, I should be there in an hour or so." "Okay, Trey, once you get here, I will train you in the use of your Universal Surfer. Trust me, you will need it." "Understood, Lalinka. Please, be careful. Trey out." Sharie sighed and leaned against the wall, worried. She had almost never seen her brother so angry, and it was not a pleasant sight to see. Like her, he strove at his utmost to hide the fierce temper he had been born with, inherited from their mother. Neither liked to give in to passionate anger, even if it was healthy, because of how rare it was in Triforia's peaceful society. It was simply rarely in their nature. In all of Triforia's 70-million-year civilized history, a few of those types had strayed toward the dark side. If they were caught, most were rehabilitated. But if their crimes had been especially heinous, and they had been completely willing to commit their acts of evil without outside influence...well, it set the stage for Triforia's only legal death penalty. In all of Triforia's history, it had happened very, *very* infrequently. The last time had been 400 years ago, and she knew it made Trey sick to think about it, for it was he who had given the order for death. **** Dark Dresden scowled as one of his followers, a man named Dyson, came up panting. "Sir, we have just monitored a transmission from Earth to Triforia. Power source is unknown, but it was boosted with Zeo energy." The evil monarch straightened, contemplating this. He was tall, tan, and quite handsome. His hair was a stunning gold, and his eyes were blue, easily prompting the name Dresden, those fancy porcelain dolls meant for display shelves. It was not until someone looked into them, however, that they noticed how icy those blue eyes were, how cold and cruel this man was, and there had almost never been any sign of pity enter those icy depths. Antarctica was warmer. "Well," he muttered, standing up to his full 6'7" height. "Who was talking to whom?" "Unknown, sir. The channel was locked." "Well, unlock it, Dolt! I want to know what it said!" Just then, a slave girl came hurrying up. She handed Dyson a computer pad before scurrying off again, not wanting to be around when Dark Dresden retired or otherwise felt the need for "entertainment." Dyson glanced at the pad. "We have broken the transmission, sir. It took them some time but those old Triforian references came in handy. It was a message from the princess Sharie Triesta to Trey Triesta, Lord of Triforia. But they were speaking in a language unfamiliar to our computers, so it cannot be translated." "Damn!" Dark Dresden swore. "Why didn't I pick up some of that lingo when I was there? It was probably Sharie asking Trey for help. I knew those rumors of her being alive were true, Dyson, I just knew it! I am going to have my revenge on that girl if it is the last thing I do. She made too much of a fool out of me, I will see her dead, plus she knows too much. Of course, a little bonus is the world she is living on now. Do you have that geological survey done yet, Dyson?" "Yes, sir. Gold and silver are widely scattered, the core of the planet is molten iron, like several other planets." Dyson obeyed, reading off the report. "But here is the big part. The planet is extremely rich in limestone, one of our most precious resources. It has more than Triforia, and that world was seven times larger than Earth's. Plus, limestone does not have much value to them except as a vague ingredient in some of their products." "Then I doubt if they will mind if we take it." Said Dark Dresden, his cold blue eyes twinkling with interest as he rubbed his chin. "This planet will make me rich, Dyson, rich! Plus, I heard the female population can be pretty appealing." "Sir--" Dyson hesitated, not sure if he should say this. "What *is* it?" Dark Dresden snapped, although he felt he knew what his right-hand man was going to say. "You remember what Astronema said. She forbade you to touch the women on Earth. Most evil people do not have your...preferences, you know." "What she does not know won't hurt her any," Dyson snapped, rubbing his chin again. "Damn that woman! I could have wrung her pretty little neck for forbidding me that, if she were not a sorceress. Although it would be a pity if I did. She is beautiful, I have to admit." "You reputation preceded you, sir," Dyson dared to say. "Why do you think she was flanked by Darkonda, Ecliptor, and a bunch of Quantrons? Darkonda and Ecliptor will be here soon to make sure you don't turn traitor. She said that if you do, she would..." "She made her meaning perfectly clear, Dyson! I don't need to have it repeated!" Dark Dresden snapped, though he paled slightly at the idea of what Astronema had threatened to part him with. "But as I said, what she does not know won't hurt her. Now go away, and send pretty little Marla to fetch my lunch." "Yes, Sir," gulped Dyson, not caring to think about what else Dark Dresden had in mind. Gods, how he hated this job! If he had a choice, which he did not, he would quit, then and there. But Dark Dresden's cold blue eyes told him he would book no opposition. Dyson went out of Dark Dresden's chambers. "Marla!" **** "I believe they plan to strike soon, Rangers," said the Phantom Ranger just as Sharie joined them. She already had some idea of what he was talking about, so he did not need to fill her in. "Do you know when, exactly?" asked Cassie, her dark eyes concerned. "Not exactly, that I did not overhear, I am afraid. But I will be willing to help in any way I can." The Phantom Ranger cast a curious glance at Sharie, for he had never before seen her unmorphed. "Is this the person whom you mentioned to me, Cassie?" "Yes, this is Sharie Triesta, the Violet Ranger." Cassie gestured to her friend. "Sharie, this is the Phantom Ranger." Sharie's purple eyes locked with Phantom's visor. "I know. We have met before." "You have?" echoed Carlos in surprise. "When?" "It has been several years, now. Until recently, when I was out in space, I often followed a general mode that Phantom does, and many did not see my face. This is the first time he has seen me unmorphed." TJ looked puzzled. "You did not even demorph around another Power Ranger?" "No, by force of habit and the fact it was easier for your foe to believe you had some power and merit if they did not know you were a young girl of fourteen." "How old are you?" asked Phantom, curiosity. "I though you might be young, but certainly not--" "I am seventeen now, I will be eighteen soon enough," Sharie sighed. "Surprise you?" Phantom nodded. "Now I understand why you hid your face." She shrugged. "Just like I know about your group's mission that prevents you from demorphing." He straightened. "How much do you know about that?" he asked in a low, serious voice. "I cannot say here, " she responded. "I swore not to. Trey will be coming soon, guys," she said to change the subject. "I will be busy with him for the rest of the afternoon. Be sure to contact me if *anything* happens, okay?" Andros nodded his assent. **** About an hour later, the Pyramidas cloaked and entered Earth's atmosphere and docked. Trey teleported directly over to his sister's main warship, where she had been working on her own universal surfer in a vain attempt to quell the raging emotions assaulting her senses as more and more long-hidden memories came to light. She was concentrating so intensely, she did not even notice the black-and- gold flash that announced his arrival, his newly-built Surfer by his side. He sighed silently. Was this how he had looked to other people who complained he had been too driven? She appeared that way now, as if trying to bury the unwanted memories against a wall of icy numbness where there was no pain. He had once thought it possible to do this, that work was escape. Now he knew how futile that was. "Lalinka," he called gently. She jumped, whirling to face him. "Trey! You're here!" she seemed frozen to the floor as he swiftly crossed the room in long strides, pulling her into his arms. Except for the surprise, he had been shocked at how empty, yet tormented, her eyes were. He was dismayed at her shivering form, but he could not blame her. Those days she had been gone, due to that monster, he could never forget the agony of not knowing. And then she had come back somehow, but had not dared say why Then days later, she was gone again... He pulled back and looked into her haunted gaze, gently touching her cheek. "Will you be okay?" he asked gently. She nodded, but something about her eyes belied her words. No, he knew, this was definitely *not* okay. Could they never put their past behind them, try and live a normal life? He sensed she wanted to change the subject, and he could do little but oblige. "I brought my Surfer, Sharie, like you asked." She seemed to pounce upon the distraction gladly. "Good," she whispered, swallowing and trying to will the tears from her eyes. No, she was *not* going to cry and lose control again... She pulled away from him and went over to investigate it. "You did a good job on this," she murmured, examining the sleek black Surfer, highly trimmed with a gold color. "It all looks like it is here, but there is something I want to add." "What?" he asked, curious when she picked up a sqarish object from a nearby table. "This is a phasing cloaking device. I have installed one in my Surfer already, it not only cloaks the person on the Surfer, it also phases them so they can pass through solid matter at a thought." His eyes widened, and he took it from her, examining it closely. "Lalinka, where did you get this?" "I made it. I got the idea from how our cloaking devices are used, plus how you and I use our "Gold Rush" and "Violet Rush" moves, and how the Phantom Ranger can do this with his ruby. I sort of combined the effects. The only glitch is they are not very durable, but considering the circumstances, they are best installed now." Trey only shook his head, marveling at the cleverness of the device. He was quiet when Sharie took it from him, explaining how it was installed and how the device worked with the rider's commands. "Ready to go out?" she asked at last. He nodded, but she warned him, "Pay strict attention to what I say to you, because if your center of balance is not right, you will fly right off it. Understand?" He nodded again, raising his wrists and crossing them. She mirrored his action. "Gold Ranger Power!" "Violet Ranger Power!" There were two brilliant flashes as the power from their crystals and the Morphin Grid rushed through their bodies, adding strength, durability, and knowledge to their bodies and minds, preparing them for the warrior ways. They blasted out of the airlock, traveling a safe distance from the ship. "Remember what I said," Sharie warned him. "Lean forward slightly to make it go forward, and press down with your right or left foot to make it turn in those directions. But be careful--the harder you press, the more sharply you turn. Press too hard, and you can go way off course, or even fall off it if your balance is not centered enough." Trey nodded, paying rapt attention as his sister demonstrated a few easy moves to him. He did his best to follow her, but he had never been on anything like these contraptions before, and sure enough, he fell off after turning too sharply. Thankfully, Sharie heard his yelp of surprise and swung around, pressing her toes hard on the levers to increase her speed. She dashed over, and pulled him onto her Surfer before he got far. "Those things are hard," he panted in relief, placing his hands on her shoulders for support to regain his balance as she maneuvered her Surfer to his. "Actually, no, they are quite easy," she remarked as she helped him back onto his Surfer. He wobbled for a moment, trying to find his footing. Finally, he got his balance centered, and stood straight but still on his Surfer. Sharie, watching him, got an idea. *Let me try to instruct you telepathically, so you are not distracted,* her voice echoed into his mind. *It might be easier, since you are used to it.* He agreed, for much instruction on Triforia could take place by knowledge infusion. Telepathic instruction like this was not quite the same thing, but it was similar enough he could catch on much more quickly than verbal instruction. Indeed, over the next couple of hours, Trey improved dramatically and soon felt comfortable with maneuvering. He no longer fell off and could make sharp turns without batting an eye. Next they moved on to more complicated moves, how to jump or duck to avoid being shot while still keeping pace with the Surfer, and how to let his feet instinctively control the Surfer while his brain could work on more important matters. By the time they finished, Trey had the feeling he was in control and could face most situations. "Now bind your knowledge to your powers, Trey," she advised him. "And you, along with any future holders of the Gold Powers, will know how." "I will see to that," he assured her, feeling just a bit triumphant and not wanting to have to learn everything all over again. **** "DECA, could you do me a favor and go away for awhile?" asked Cassie politely after she and Phantom had entered the engine room to scan. "No cameras or audio, please." The nearest camera blinked at her for a moment, contemplating this. The computer seemed to regard her and Phantom, and their desire for privacy. "Okay, Cassie," she said at last. "But if I sense that there are problems in here, I will turn my cameras back on, for safety's sake, no matter what. All right?" "Okay," Cassie shrugged, grateful that the computer had seemed to understand so easily. "Thanks, DECA." "You're welcome," said the computer sweetly, as every camera within the room withdrew into wall panels. After they were gone, Cassie sighed and turned toward Phantom. "She is gone. I hope you do not mind my saying that I prefer to see you without your armor once in a while." He hesitated, contemplating this. "Can you lock the door?" "I did when we entered. It can only be overridden by one of the others in case of emergency, or by DECA if she feels the situation warrants. Please," she asked, her eyes imploring, "unless it would make you uncomfortable--" "No," he said immediately, letting the armor around him fade. "Anything you want, I also want. And if you want to see me, then you shall." She smiled into his dazzling green eyes, loving how they twinkled at her. "Thank you, Tar'yn, for understanding." She loved using his real name in private, it seemed to suit him so much better than Phantom when they were alone... "Anything for you," he said softly, reaching out and touching her face gently. "But I believe we had better start scanning and monitoring the Dryserans, before DECA gets suspicious and comes back." Cassie nodded reluctantly, not wanting Tar'yn to remove his hand but knowing that DECA would do just that. They could not risk *anybody* but her seeing Phantom unmorphed. She still did not know exactly why it was so dangerous, but she was unwilling to take the chance. She was playing enough with her own life by knowing his face and name, but he had found he could not deny her that any longer. Not if it tormented the one he loved so much. Cassie idly tapped the controls, setting the scanners to survey the base camp being set up by the Dryserans. "There is not much activity but building shelters there right now," she observed. "They are putting out enough interference so I cannot get much detail. That is the worrisome part, they could be building massive weapons systems and we would not know it." "Let me try something," he said, leaning over her to make some adjustments. "Does this help?" She glanced at the readings, then at Tar'yn, startled. "How did you do that?" "I have been a power ranger for a long time, Cassie," he said, still leaning over her and making no move to pull away. "I know a lot of things about enemies, and many are typical." She blushed, becoming acutely aware of the heat of his body so close to hers. "The readings are improved," she admitted, trying to focus on the task at hand and finding it hard to do so. "It seems that they are building up an offensive." He nodded absently, not noticing when his fingers absently started to lightly stroke her hair. She turned around, surprised, her dark eyes locking with his dazzling green ones. Neither were really aware of what was happening until their mouths met. Cassie felt a bolt of electricity shoot through her spine, which intensified when his hand moved from her hair to cup her chin, urging her closer. She almost forgot entirely about the scans as her hands left the controls to wrap boldly around his neck. She could somehow sense his moan of attempted restraint, and when he crushed her to him, she knew he had failed. Their lips were scorching together with such an intense fire that it was an insistent beeping from the console that drew them apart, breathless. Cassie felt herself flushing, and not only from his touch. They were supposed to be monitoring. She turned her gaze back to the screen. "Activity from the planet just picked up pace considerably. We need to keep a closer eye on it, and in the meantime, *you*--" she turned to him, pretending to be stern. "You need to stop that--until tonight." He blushed, for the sudden question in his mind he had not hoped to ask so soon.. "Cassie, how far do you want to go in our relationship?" She looked thoughtful, considering the question. She had expected this to come up sooner or later. "I love you, Tar'yn. I...." she straightened, as if making a decision. "What you want, I want." "Cassie..." his eyes were pleading, wanting the truth. "Please make sure you are telling me the truth. I believe I am correct in assuming you are an innocent, because you are so young." Color rose on her cheeks. "Um...well, yes," she murmured at last. "I have never slept with anyone, Tar'yn. It is not something I discuss a lot with people." "Then how can you be so sure you know what you want?" he asked, touching her chin again. "You respond to my touch, but are you sure you would not regret it later? Think I took advantage of you? Please, Cassie," he pleaded, "I do not want to make any mistakes. Heaven knows I have made enough of them in my lifetime." "Tar'yn?" she asked tentatively. "Have you..uh...ever...you know..." "Have I ever slept with anyone?" he surmised. Cassie ducked her head and nodded. "Yeah...I mean, you are at least a couple of thousand years older, right...?" "Yes to both, Cassie," he said honestly. "But...it has been a very long time." "I won't regret it," she said suddenly, startling him. "I think we will both know if we are ready or not, Tar'yn. I don't know why, but I seem to know this already..." He smiled slightly, but did not find that he could tell her that his people often established such a bond with those they fell in love with. He had done so, in a way, but she would have to accept it before it could really work. If she denied it, all she would get would be the occasional premonition. "Tonight, then?" she asked, holding her hand up. It was so sudden again it caught him by surprise, and the thought was a little overwhelming, even after all this time. Still... "Tonight, if you are sure," he whispered, holding both of his hands up and clasping both of them about her upraised hand. Looking into her eyes, he realized how much he wanted this, as well.... **** "Astronema wants to know when you will be done," snapped Darkonda to Dark Dresden as the other was busy still surveying Earth. "Soon, maybe tomorrow. Tell your precious Astronema to keep her britches on, willya?" "I cannot tell her that. She would come over here and skin you alive so fast you would not enjoy the torture. Just *hurry*, for your safety and mine." "Whatever. Say, whatever happened to that little girl in yellow you had captured? Do you still have her?" "Occasionally..." Darkonda smiled an evil grin. "Once in awhile I can still get her under my control." "Getting tired of her yet? I would still be interested in a trade, if you want." "Nah. She is the sister of the red Lightstar Ranger, Andros. Who knows when she will prove useful that way. Besides, the one person I was willing to trade for her you refused to give up, and she is now no longer in your possession." "Did you have to mention her?" groaned Dark Dresden, pressing his fingers to his temples. "I will get that girl yet for betraying me, and she knows too many of my secrets. Oh yes, I will get her all right. I will make her pay...." Something about his expression made Darkonda draw back in disgust. "Get that out of your head, Dark Dresden. I still don't understand why you do the things you do. Even the most heniously evil do not resort to that. *I* don't do that. If you were not so powerful, somebody with a mind for revenge would have...taken your reason for wearing britches *long ago*!" "They haven't, now have they!" sneered Dark Dresden, his cerulean blue eyes spitting fire and ice all at once. "Get out of here, Darkonda! Don't bug me again until I am ready! And if Astronema does not like it, tell her she can kiss off--or kiss me, for all I care!" "Do you still want to keep your lips after that, I wonder?" snarled Darkonda. "She will do that, all too easily, just rip them from your head and--" "Point taken! Now *leave*!" **** "The time has come!" Cried Dark Dresden, surveying his completed fleet. "Earth will fall at last, and all because of ME!" If Ecliptor could have wrinkled his nose, he would have. "Remember, Dark Dresden," he sneered, flashing his sword casually from one hand to the other to make his point plain, "Astronema's orders are not to be disobeyed in *any* circumstance. Is that understood?" "Yeah, yeah, get off my case already!" snapped Dark Dresden, while secretly crossing his fingers behind his back. "Tell your precious Astronema the job should be done in a couple of hours, and the Power Rangers will be destroyed for her--once and for all!" **** Sharie was in her Sphinx Ultrazord, keeping an eye on the scanners, while Trey was keeping watch in his Pyramidas. She was concentrating so hard on them that she did not even jump, and pounced upon the scanners when the sirens started to wail. Her purple eyes widened at the results of the scans, and she hit a button to open the comm system. "Guys!" she yelled into it. "I hope you are keeping an eye on your scanners. A large fleet of ships has left the nearby solar system and is headed for earth!" "We got it, Sharie!" Andros's voice came over the system. "I suggest we meet them out in space and try to prevent their coming to Earth at all. What do you say?" "Agreed!" she said at once. "Did you get that, Trey?" "Got it, Lalinka," came the voice. "Let's get them and defeat them-- soundly, this time. Earth should not have to go through what Triforia went through." "Right," she murmured, seeing unwanted images before her eyes again and quickly shoving them away. "It's Morphin' Time!" Over the comm system, it could also be heard, "Let's Rocket!" **** The Sphinx Ultrazord, the Pyramidas, and the Megaship met the Dryseran fleet around the orbit of Pluto. The Dryserans soon made it clear they meant business, for within minutes all three ships found themselves rocking with volley after volley of enemy fire. However, they also scored some points. After several of Dark Dresden's ships had exploded in brilliant, fire-red flashes, Dark Dresden threw a fit. "That's it!" he bellowed as the Sphinx Ultrazord blindsided him. "I will get that little kid who has caused me so much misery. Dyson!" he snarled. "Yes, Sir!" "Tell the four ships nearest to the Sphinx Ultrazord to concentrate all their fire fully on her! Disable the ship and board her, and capture the girl! But don't kill her--I want her brought to me alive!" It took all of Dyson's willpower to not close his eyes and sigh. "Right away, Sir." **** Meanwhile, Trey had put his new skills on his Universal Surfer to good use, and he, along with Cassie and Ashley on their Galaxy Gliders, had been sweeping in to get in some close shots. They were distracted, however, by the not-so-comforting sight of a crowd of Dryseran vessels break off their attacks and turn solely on Sharie's ship. It was apparent within seconds that it would be difficult for Sharie to handle such a crowd--especially when two more ships joined the fray. "She is in trouble!" gasped Cassie, pivoting to a stop. "Ashley, we have got to help her!" "Right!" said Ashley. "Let's sneak on board her ship and try to help her. Trey, you should be able to sneak in closer behind enemy lines, your Universal Surfer has a cloaking device." He hesitated, not liking what they were suggesting. It was plausible, but dangerous, and he could not see much else that could be done, considering the circumstances. And if the girls were captured.... "Be careful," he urged them. "I cannot tell you how much. Above all, do not give in to Dark Dresden's demands, should you be captured." "All we can do is try, Trey," Ashley called over her shoulder. They left Trey behind shaking his head as they headed for Sharie's ship. **** Once they materialized, they found themselves in semi-darkness. There was obvious damage all around them, and the cloaking device was off for a reason they could not fathom. Ashley reached over and tried to activate a nearby computer terminal, nothing glowed or made a sound to indicate it worked. "It is completely useless," Ashley murmured, glad Cassie could not see her worried expression. "Activate your Astroscanners," advised her friend quietly. "See if you can pick up Sharie's lifesigns.' "Right. Astroscanners, Online!" "See anything?" "No...wait. I am picking up Triforian lifesigns one deck up, in the control room. But they are fluctuating. I also am getting other readings. I don't think Sharie is alone." It was enough for both girls. "Let's go!" The two girls raced off toward the control room. Even before they got there, they could hear the sounds of fighting and blaster shots. They ducked just outside the doorway to see the Violet Ranger in the middle of a fight with several armor-clad Dryserans bent on capturing her. "Surrender, Violet Ranger!" cried the leader of the Dryseran group. "No!" she said. "Leave my ship!" "If you won't come with me, peacefully, my girl, I will have to take you by force. Dark Dresden would like to see you!" "You would have to kill me, first!" Sharie said, her voice deadly. "Sorry, my dear. He has a little agenda with you, and he wants you alive." The Dryseran advanced on her, blaster drawn and ready. Sharie took up a similar stance. "Leave her alone, you creep!" The hiding girls knew that Sharie stood no chance with a group of Dryserans with such deadly weapons. It was a miracle that she had lasted this long. Sharie was horrified. She did not know what had possessed the girls to try such as stunt, but they were now in a dangerous position. She did not even want to *think* about what could happen to them if they were captured... "Guys, if you are wise, leave now!" she hissed. "If Dark Dresden gets you, he will..." She was interrupted by gunfire as chaos exploded, and a dampening field generated stole the morphing abilities of all three girls. The Dryserans pounced on them, and within seconds, all three were immobile. **** "Mission accomplished, Dark Dresden! And with a bonus!" crowed the group leader as he reported back to the cruel Dryseran leader. "Yeah? What kind of a bonus?" drawled the blue-eyed monarch lazily. His eyes gleamed at the thought that he could finally extract his revenge on the person who had caused him so much misery... "We have captured the two other female rangers of Earth's team as well," said the armor-clad Dryseran, bowing with a flourish. "They are being held immobile." "Excellent! Hold them in the holding cells until I want to see them!" "Yes, Sir!" said the team leader, vanishing. Dyson cringed at the icy-cold laugh Dark Dresden emitted, and it was nearly as cold as his icy blue eyes... **** "*No*!" cried Andros. "I've lost their signals entirely! A dampening field just went up. I think they've been captured! Heaven knows what Dark Dresden will do to them now..." He closed his eyes, desperate to shut out the disturbing images that threatened to come up. While Andros was repeating his message to Trey, who was behind enemy lines, Carlos was being driven insane by Phantom's incessant pacing. After he had destroyed all the ships in his vicinity, he had insisted on joining them. "I should have kept a closer eye on her..." he muttered to no one in particular. "Hey!" Carlos barked, not wanting him to start this. *He* was feeling bad enough about Sharie, and he did not care for the reminder. "I feel the same way, but pacing and blaming yourself won't work now!" "Oh, and I suppose you have an idea?" It was not until then that Phantom realized that he was so worried. He was *never* so testy.... "Cool it, both of you!" Andros snapped. "This will not get us anywhere. Think of something, you two, and think of it fast, but arguing and placing blame on yourselves will not help." He got the distinct feeling that both individuals were now glaring at him, but neither said a word. Phantom began pacing again while Carlos, not wanting to think about what Sharie had to be going through, toyed with the controls on the control panel. Out of the blue, Phantom said suddenly, "What was that computer program you told me about when you defeated the monsters that knocked Cassie and I into another dimension? Do you think it would work here?" Carlos turned from the computer and looked at him with wide eyes. Quickly, he turned toward the computer and started poking at it, bringing up the schematics. Suddenly, he got excited. "I think so," he said, his fingers now flying over the controls. "With just a few minor modifications--Phantom, you are a genius!" Andros could not help smiling a little at the irony, but he was too worried about Ashley to think about it. "But how do we deliver it? Trey is in the best position to activate it behind enemy lines and detonate it, and it was designed to be activated by Zeo powers, but how do we get it to him? We could not possibly teleport that far through such interference." "I will take it to him," said Phantom as Carlos and TJ worked busily on the modifications. "My craft's cloaking device should have healed itself by now. I will do my best to slip through." "We cannot warn Trey, though," said TJ over his shoulder. "We could alert any listening Drysera to our plans. You will catch him by surprise, so be careful." Phantom nodded, and, taking the computer bomb with him, teleported back over to his ship, only a short distance away. He would have to get close to Trey to be able to teleport him the device to modify into his powers. **** Trey was angry. No, he was beyond angry, he was seething. The thought of having his sister caught in the grips of such a monster, again, caught him into a blind fury, and he was firing on the enemy for all he was worth. Forget self-control. Somehow, right now it no longer seemed worth it. He started, though, when a craft came out of nowhere and came to an abrupt halt just beside him. He almost fired, but just in time realized that the vessel was the Phantom Ranger's. The other's vessel was close enough so that they could use short-range communications and not be overheard. Phantom's quiet voice explained the plan, and Trey readily agreed to do his best. "Be careful," said Phantom. "I saw how recklessly you were acting. You are the only one around to activate this device, but be careful about it. I had to be reminded of that earlier." "And how well do you know Dark Dresden, Phantom?" asked Trey, his voice sour and strangely choked. "How well do you know the nightmares this man can inflict?" Phantom was quiet, remembering what he had been told about Dark Dresden. He felt another chill run up his spine as he once again faced the fact that Cassie was in the hands of this monster. "I can understand now," said Phantom quietly. "We need to work together on this one, Trey. We have a chance this time of defeating him quickly, and saving the girls before they get hurt." He was silent for a moment, then added, "I was ready to do the same sort of reckless behavior you were doing, until the others shut me up and made me realize that this sort of action would not work. Cassie is very important to me, and I've discovered that without her, life for me no longer has real meaning." Trey was more quiet now. "Carlos feels the same way about Sharie, and Andros about Ashley. I will set the bomb behind enemy lines, then the girls must be found as quickly as possible. You are right, we have a better chance now than I had eleven years ago. And this time, I don't want to screw it up." His hands were busy making the modifications in his power staff. "I will be here," said Phantom. "You will be in a dangerous position, and could be hurt." "Not that I care much," Trey almost said, but changed his mind. He shook his head, trying to clear the turmoil from his mind, and set about to cut the enemy down to size. **** The resulting explosions and detonations fully destroyed or disabled over two-thirds of Dark Dresden's fleet, filling the air with brilliant balls of fiery light as the ships exploded and for a moment, looked like miniature suns. Dark Dresden held onto the back of his chair as the ship beneath his feet rocked dangerously, and several computer panels blinked. He closed his blue eyes, expecting the end, and was mildly surprised to open them a moment later and discover he was still in one piece. "Dyson!" he barked, "What in the *hell* happened! How much of my fleet was destroyed?!" His right-hand man was panting as he came hurrying up. "It seems at least two-thirds of your fleet was destroyed. Computer virus. The systems on some of the ships were able to overcome it, including ours." "Damn!" Dark Dresden swore, angrily pacing. "Can't you guys do *anything* right? Now we have to retreat and regroup, and Astronema will have my hide!" Dyson shook his head to himself as he set to work, ordering the retreat and regrouping. Gods, how he hated this job! It was not fair to the inhabitants of the worlds Dark Dresden conquered for the Evil Drysera, and he was glad he was not like the rest! "This next time, we will not fail!" Growled Dark Dresden. "Bring me the prisoners!" Dyson felt sick as he was forced, by the sheer will of his master's icy gaze, to hurry down to the hold and bring back the three struggling girls and guards holding weapons on them. "Well, well, well, let's see what we have here!" said Dark Dresden, glad to pounce on the "distraction". He turned on Cassie first, looking her over, surveying her well-formed, slender figure like a horse brought to market. The way he stared at her made her eyes narrow with rage, which made him laugh. When he reached out to touch her skin, she jerked her head away and tried to kick him. He was too quick, and backed off out of her reach. "Oh, a feisty one, are you? I just might have fun with you, Pink Ranger. Do you know that your cunning friends destroyed most of my fleet?" He reached out and touched Cassie's long black hair lightly. "I just might have to make you pay for their...transgressions." Idly his fingers trailed down her hair, slipping through the long, dark silken strands to caress the back of her neck, stroking downwards, coming around....his fingers, feeling colder all the time to her horror-stiff body, came around to the front of her neck, touching her collarbone, and she saw the savage intent in his blue eyes of trailing them lower..... "So what if they did, you will have to kill me first before you get me!" Cassie spat in anger. "I will not let myself be had by the likes of *you*!" "Oh, you *are* feisty!" Dark Dresden's icy laugh made Cassie go still and a flicker of fear show behind her eyes. "We will see, my exotic beauty. We will see..." Almost reluctantly, he removed his hand from Cassie's body, ignoring how she sagged with relief. He'd have her later. He always liked exotic ones..... He turned on Ashley next, and Ashley felt her stomach turn somersaults as she fought not to lose it. "You are pale, my dear. Don't worry, some women claim that they enjoy what I can give out. Won't do you any good to refuse, my dear. I would hate to see that pretty hide of yours beaten black and blue." "You will leave me, and Cassie, and Sharie, you will leave us *all* alone!" hissed Ashley, her brown eyes opening and going darker with anger. "You will also have to kill me before I fall victim to your perverted lusts!" "Don't be too sure of that!" he responded, not in the least swayed. "Few have ever managed to do what you propose, and it is a shame when they do manage to kill themselves. Only *I* order the executions around here, understand? You will not disobey me, or I will see to it you are punished within an inch of your life. Try to escape, you will die. But not before-- " He reached out again, his fingers idly touching her lips and airily moving down her chin when she would have moved to bite him. "Save your biting and bucking for when I have you pinioned beneath me," he growled, savagely in her ear--but she also felt a twinge of disgust to sense the seductive note in his voice as well. "I like 'em savage, when they kick around and try to escape--but they never do. Speaking of escape," His blue eyes turned even colder when he finally allowed his gaze to rest on Sharie. He was silent so long, his blue eyes boring into her purple ones, that the air grew choking with the tension. The guards grew fidgety, especially when Dark Dresden's eyes started to glow with an eerie light. "Are you okay, Sir?" one of them asked hesitantly. "Yes..." Dark Dresden murmured distractedly. "I was just contemplating...well, Sharie, it looks like we meet again. I have looked for you for a long time, my girl. And now, after searching for so long, you drop right into my hands. It looks like my chance for revenge will come soon after all." He though nothing of reaching out and touching Sharie's lightly tanned skin. "When you were a little girl, I knew that you would grow up beautiful one day. Guess I was right." Sharie finally managed to tear her eyes from his hateful glance, turning her head so he would quit touching her. He ignored her attempt, his hands following, stroking her jaws and down her neck, edging almost eagerly towards her breasts. Even after all this time, she had not forgotten his disgusting touch, whether he had been beating her senseless for some minor infraction or stroking her hair while telling her of his evil schemes, never dreaming that she would one day escape, and make a fool out of him... "Of course, that is not the only reason why I wanted you," Dark Dresden continued, almost absently. His hands just shyed over her quivering chest and downwards, until his hand gripped her waist and his thumb began to, almost absentmindedly, to stroke her navel. "You are, I believe, what the Triforians call one of 'The Ones'. I think it means you have incredible brainpower, even for a Triforian, mental abilities which I could use. You were a little child with strong mental powers I could warp to my ways, if I so desired. Plus, you were a Triforian Princess, and kidnapping you was a good way to get the Lord of Triforia's attention. And now, looking at you, I have a bigger bonus. It seems you have considerable power under your thumb, power I would like to have." "The Zeo Powers will not obey the command of someone evil," said Sharie, looking through him this time and speaking in a wooden tone. "And I will not help you willingly, so that option is closed." She fought the urge to throw up as his fingers did not cease their movements. "Of course you will, my child, or I will think nothing of forcing your friends here right before your eyes, before I have you as well- -after which, of course, you die." This caught Sharie's attention. "No!" she hissed, seeing that her options were becoming limited. "I will do what you ask, but you must not rape or mess with Cassie and Ashley." "Now you are starting to speak some sense," chuckled Dark Dresden, his handsome face lighting up with an evil grin. Suddenly, he moved, removing his hand from her waist and pressing her frightened form up against a wall, pinning her there. "I will tell you what, my dear," he said, holding her so firmly she could not struggle. She felt his ironlike body pressing tighly on her own and, to her horror, also felt a particular area of him that was showing signs of arousal. "I want your power and your mental abilities serving me. Not to mention that you are beautiful, if you agree to serve me, and become my consort willingly, I will spare the lives of your friends here, after, of course, I have had my fun with them. I might even be willing to forget that you are prone to knowledge about my people that could get you executed. I could forget that you made a fool of me those years ago. I will treat you well, like a queen." Sharie continued to struggle, her eyes closed as she grasped desperately for some solution amidst the awful memories that threatened to strangle her senses, along with this horror. "No!" she cried. "I will not do a thing you say unless you promise to leave Cassie and Ashley entirely out of it, let them go, and leave Earth's system. Never try to attack it again!" "You demand much, my dear." Dark Dresden said, watching her struggle while her eyes remained empty. He could not help it; her terror and his feelings of revenge were adding each moment to his pleasure. He attempted to lean in to kiss her, finding that she kept turning her head each time he got close to her lips--it was several seconds of this before he clamped his hand to her throat, pinning her immoble, and finally caught her mouth beneath his. A low moan of horror was barely heard emitting from her, and he felt her suddenly sag--she was going into a faint! He released her with a crude laugh. "Sickens you, does it? By the time I'm done with you, you'll be begging for more, just wait and see! All that fire in you needs is ignition! I saw it way back then and I certainly see it now, no matter how much you fiegn otherwise!" "If you want me and my 'services' as badly as you claim, then you will do it!" she sputtered, gasping for air and sure she'd never before felt so fouled in her life. "You can have me, but you must leave my friends and Earth out of it!" "No, Sharie, don't do it!" she vaguely heard Ashley pleading behind her, and sensed Cassie also was not happy about this. Still, if it would mean their lives and their bodies left intact... "I'll tell you what, my dear," crooned Dark Dresden, stroking her hair again. "How about I give you time to think about my offer, and I will think about yours. You have enough assets behind you, with powers, brainpower and all, I might even forgive you one day for what you have done to me. Besides, Triforians live for a long time and stay young. I will be back in a few hours, and I want your answer. Freedom for your friends if you agree to serve me (in every respect, you understand) or I take your friends here anyway, before your eyes, and then kill them, understand?" He laughed maliciously as he released her. "Take them back into their holding cell!" **** Awful pain throbbed in Trey's head as he forced his eyes open. Bright light assaulted him, and he found himself lying in a sort of windowseat aboard a strange vessel. When the chair at the front of the Starfighter, he guessed it was, turned and he saw the Phantom Ranger there, he suddenly remembered what had happened. After detonating the device, he had been hit with shrapnel and other flying debris.... Phantom, seeing him awake, got up and came over at once. "Are you all right?" he asked softly, as if he sensed Trey's pounding head and did not want to further his misery. "Did it work?" Trey rasped, a hand coming up to clutch his pounding head. "The girls..." "The computer device worked," said Phantom quietly. "Over two/thirds of the fleet have been destroyed. We have not as yet located Cassie or the others, but it is almost a sure bet they are on Dark Dresden's ship, which made it intact." Trey's eyes clouded over, and he slumped back down, closing his eyes with a sigh. "It was...difficult, the last time you faced them, was it not?" Phantom could not help asking. "And that is why it is so hard for you now?" "It was beyond a nightmare," Trey sounded choked, as if forcing the words out of his mouth. "Some were killed. Dark Dresden stole my sister and abused her while forcing her to serve him. She was not the only one taken, but she was the only one who returned without actually being raped, but there may have been other things Dark Dresden did to her, I do not know...and then, she was gone again..." He had no idea why he was saying this, it was more than he thought Phantom had asked for. "Then...Cassie really is in grave danger..." Phantom sounded like the reality of the situation had finally hit him. "And the other girls..." Trey nodded, tight-lipped. "The only reason Sharie was spared, when all the others were not, was because she was a child. But Dark Dresden had intended to, when she got older..." "We are still cloaked and behind enemy lines," said Phantom. "I am working hard to locate the girls, and with luck, they might not yet have been harmed. We can only wait and see." Trey nodded, laying his aching body back down upon the hard cushion. He closed his eyes and prayed, with all his being, that fate would once again intervene in time to save them all... **** "Are you *crazy*?!" Ashley hissed as soon as they were alone again. "What makes you think he would actually go for something like that! Sharie, you've been had!!" Sharie slumped against the wall and sank to the floor. Her eyes were closed, but when they opened, they were full of tears. "No, I have not, thank heavens. He meant what he said, which is good news for you two. He wants revenge on me for what I did to him, for what I denied him, for making a fool of him, for escaping while knowing what I know. He is so eager to take his revenge on me any way possible, he will quite likely ignore you two. You might be able to escape if he does not directly let you go. You must take the first opportunity and *leave* this place!" "We won't leave you!" Cassie almost wailed. "It is not fair!" "I have been through worse," Sharie tried to encourage them. "You must not worry about me." "What do you mean, worse?" Ashley almost snapped. "Have you ever been raped before, taken against your will? Has a man even *touched* you, at least like that disgusting display he did, before Carlos?" "I promise I will *not*, if I can help it, actually let that man succeed in raping me. There have been close calls, but no, I've never been raped. And I don't sleep with every guy I meet, either! So no, I haven't been completely down that road, and I would hate to think that monster would ruin your important first times with those you love, or mine!" Sharie heaved a ragged sigh. "Carlos and I are taking our time, and I happen to know that both of you are nearing that point in your relationships. I only have to look at you to know, and you should face that point without fear. This is for the best, unless we can escape now, and I see no way with this dampening field up. Right now, your safety is uppermost in my mind, and whatever happens, there is no way you are going to convince me otherwise!" "It is still not fair," said Ashley. "You and Carlos should also be able to face that without fear. Why should you..." "Let's not think about it," said Sharie suddenly. "Maybe something will happen." And it did, in a most unusual and unexpected way.... **** Astronema could not stop her pacing as Darkonda came in with news. "Well?" she snapped at him, as soon as he had entered. "Don't just stand there. What did he do that merits my attention?" Darkonda bowed slightly. "I had placed the bugs in his room and on the bridge, just like you ordered. Well, he has captured the female rangers, and he indee threatened them all with rape like you ordered him not to. What is more, he and the girl Sharie have some sort of past, and he is trying to force her to become his...consort in exchange for letting the other two girls alone." "Damn him!" Astronema swore. "I knew he could not be trusted. I should never have let Dark Spectre hire that sick pervert in the first place, knowing he would go behind my back in any way." "It would eventually destroy the girls anyway," Darkonda pointed out. "I would not wish rape on anybody, Darkonda! Even I could not stoop that low, and Dark Specre would have my hide for permitting it! Even that is not a method of torture he condones. Other torture, maybe, *not* rape. And I prefer to let them die with a little bit of dignity, if only that!" Snarled Astronema. "You will find some way to get in there and break those girls out. Bring them to me, and I will destroy them myself. It will be a swifter death for them, but they can go out with their self-pride intact! Is that understood?" "Yes, Astronema," said Darkonda, bowing again. "I know where I can put them, for now. Yessirreebob, I am on my way," he cackled as he went out the door. Astronema sighed and laid down on her bed, wondering why her head was swimming. She was mildly surprised to feel sleep overtake her so quickly, but she did not have time to think about it before the darkness claimed her. **** Sharie, Cassie, and Ashley raised their heads at the commotion in the hall. There was some angry stomping and muttering, and the rattling of keys. "Yeah, whaddya want!" snapped a guard, having been awoke from his afternoon soring session. "I want to talk to the prisoners!" growled a voice that was unmistakably like Darkonda's. "Astronema wants some answers from them! Now let me in that room or I will blow your head off and do it anyway!" "All right, all right, don't get into an uproar. Sheesh!" The girls heard the annoyed guard snap and the *click* of a key in the lock and they stood as the door opened and the guard entered, followed by Darkonda. As soon as Darkonda had entered, he turned to the guard. "Thanks, wimp!" he snarled, firing a weapon that knocked the guard down, to the astonishment of the prisoners. Darkonda's evil laugh penetrated the room. Next, without a hitch, he turned and trained the weapon on them. "Okay, ladies. You are coming with me. Astronema wants you in a safer place until she can deal with you all later, personally." "Why would she rescue us?" asked Cassie in surprise. She was not one to think that Astronema had any morals whatsoever. "Simple. She knows Dark Dresden and his sick mind. She still plans to kill you, but at least you can die without being victimized by the likes of Dark Dresden. Now move! We have got to get past the dampening field before I can teleport us!" Obediently, the girls slipped out the door, followed by Darkonda, his weapon still trained on them. Somehow, they had less fear now than when Dark Dresden had threatened them. It was a surprise to them Astronema had any virtures at all, to recognize how unpleasant the prospect of rape was. The alternative was not as plesant as escape, but maybe they had a better chance now, without this indignity being forced upon them. So, upon silent feet, they stole down the corridor. They had gotten quite a distance before they heard pounding feet behind them. "There they are!" cried the guard Darkonda had shot. He was up again and had brought friends with him. "Get them!" He bellowed, drawing his weapon and waving it menacingly in the air. "Destroy the spiney guy and recapture the prisoners before Dark Dresden makes us *worse* than prisoners!" They attacked, and suddenly, in the chaos, everyone found themselves fighting. Cassie ducked a guard and kicked him in the midsection, sending him sprawling. Ashley flipped one over her hip, but was grabbed behind by another. To her surprise, Darkonda shot him off her. "Don't bother thanking me," he growled, turning his back to her. Ashley did not say a word,only shrugging and upswiping another guard under the chin, knocking him senseless. In the general mayhem that followed, Sharie, while fighting off a guard, noticed that Cassie was right on edge of the group, Darkonda was on the other side, and she had few guards on her back. An idea occured to Sharie, and she felt the situation would warrant a mental intrusion. Without even bothering to concentrate, she focused her mind slightly and sent a message telepathically to her friend. *Cassie, I know you can hear me. You are right on the edge of the fighting group, so break away and run for it! The dampening field only ends a short distance from here, I am sure of it. Dampening fields take a lot of energy to work. As soon as your morpher reactivates, teleport out of here and tell the others what happened. Ashley and I won't make it in this, Darkonda will still have us." She noticed Cassie's eyes widen, and knew she had heard. She sent a silent acknowlegment to Sharie, praying that her untrained mind allowed Sharie to hear it, before kicking a guard in the stomach, turning on her heels, and fleeing down the corridor as fast as her legs could carry her. The guard recovered rapildy and followed in hot persuit. Just as Cassie thought her lungs might burst, she heard her morpher buzz to life. Without a second thought, she snapped it open and told it to teleport her to the nearest ship with a Power signature, sure it would be the Megaship. Just as the guard was about to reach her, there was a flash of pink light-- ...And when she materialized and stopped rolling, she realized she was on the floor of Phantom's starfighter, right at the feet of an astonished Trey. "Cassie!" he yelped, startled. Dark eyes wide in surprise, he pulled her to her feet. "Are you okay? Where are the others?" The ship rocked again, and Cassie and Trey both reached out to the wall for balance. Phantom set the computer on autopilot and crossed the room in two strides, pulling Cassie away from Trey and hugging her, just firmly enough so she would not be hurt by his armor. Somehow, she could sense his desperation at nearly losing her. "Are you okay?" he asked, repeating Trey's thoughts. "Gods, Cassie, we have been so worried..." "I am okay," she rasped, drawing deep breaths, still recovering from her flight. "I managed to escape. Darkonda has Sharie and Ashley right now, I think they are safe for the moment, if Darkonda got them away from Dark Dresden--" "Darkonda *what*?" repeated Trey, trying to make sense of all this. "Why would he help you escape? Were any of you--" Cassie shook her head in evident relief. "No. Dark Dresden threatened to rape and kill us all unless Sharie agreed to become his escort, but Darkonda came and got us before he could act upon his threat or get Sharie's answer. Sharie made me escape since I was in the position to do so. I did not want to leave them alone with even Darkonda, but it was the only chance I had to warn *anybody*." Trey's eyes burned again. "Sharie was going to do that? Become his consort?" Suddenly, he could once again barely control his rage. Even after all this time-- "If it meant freeing Earth, Ashley, and myself, she was," admitted Cassie, hating to see the pain flash behind Trey's eyes, but rather startled to see the intense rage that also blazed there. It simply did not seem like calm, centered Trey to be that way. "Trust me, Ashley and I did everything we could to talk her out of it. She only said that Dark Dresden would be so intent on having his revenge on her that he would fail to notice us. He would either let us go or escape, one." Trey slumped against the wall, feeling nothing but pain, anger, and fatigue as the ghosts of the past reared their ugly heads once again. *Lalinka, how is it you can find yourself in these messes. And yet, how so like you it is to take all responsibility on yourself alone...* Cassie saw him trembling slightly. "Do you know where they are now, where they could possibly be at?" he asked. He had noticed her staring, and was trying to cover up his distress. She shook her head, troubled. "No. Somehow I doubt they are on the Dark Fortress. It would be to easy to scan for Power Signatures. I would not wonder that Darkonda would have them hidden away somewhere else. He is a bounty hunter, he would have a lot of good hiding spots." "We have much of the fleet destroyed," said Phantom, hugging her closer. "As soon as they are gone, we will do an exensive search to find your friends." "I hope so," she murmured, then started to shiver suddenly as her pent-up fear suddenly came to the surface. "Gods, I hated it when he looked me over like I was some prize he had won! He touched my hair and face also--- I wanted to be sick, to die, but I could not!" Her teeth chattered as she fought to control herself. "I am sorry," she apologized, seeing the slightly sick look that crossed Trey's face. "It is just that I could not forget--" "Do not apologize," he murmured, taking her hand. "It is just that I understand what you are going through. You have every right and reason to vent after being in the presence of someone like Dark Dresden." She nodded, lips trembling, her eyes full of tears. "And what will I tell Carlos? He must be as worried." Phantom shook his head as his small ship swung around and headed back to the Megaship. "The truth, Cassie. It would do no good to soften the blow with someone like Carlos. At least, if luck was with them, they got away before anything more happened." "Thank heavens for small mercies," she responded, tight-lipped. **** At last, when the fighting had stopped and Darkonda had KO'ed the last guard, he turned his weapon back to Sharie and Ashley. "All right, where is Cassie?" he growled, immediately noticing her missing. Sharie had told Ashley what had happened, and now Ashley said not a word about it. "Obviously, she took the opprotunity to escape," she said cooly, instead. "Wonderful! Just great! Well, I don't have time to look for her. Astronema will have to content herself with you two. I am going to take you to a special place of mine--normally, I would not send you there, but since neither of you will live long enough to tell about it, it makes absoultely no difference." By then, their walk had taken them to the edge of the dampening field. Before either girl could activate their own morphers, Darkonda teleported them away in a flash of yellow light. They rematerilaized in what appeared to be a vast set of undergound chambers. The walls were of grey stone, but decorated with all sorts of odd things from distant galaxies, and there was furniture and the like. To their surprise, it had an odd beauty, a strange charm of it's own, in a way that did not seem to fit the evil bounty hunter before them. "Make yourselves at home," snarled Darkonda. "You cannot escape, I have another dampening field here to block both your powers and your teleporter. I will be merciful enough to allow my resident...servant show you where you can get necessities. Enjoy it--it will probably be your last meal. I will be back for you when Astronema summons you." He laughed triumphantly, like the bounty hunter he was with fine prizes. Without another word, he vanished. "Great. Now what do we do?" Ashley complained. "We are the prisoners of a person who likes to kidnap children for the fun of it--like Andros's sister." "Would you rather still be in the hands of Dark Dresden?" Sharie quipped cooly. Ashley stared at her. Sharie's eyes were completly devoid of all emotion--totally hollow, except for a haunted pain. "I would rather be free entirely, that's what!" Ashley's frustration over the whole day was beginning to show, as well as the fear and humiliation she had suffered. "Ash, let's just look around and try to find a way out of here, okay?" Sharie almost pleaded. She, too was tired of the fear, the memories assaulting her, the pain, the anger, and the uncontrollable rage. Ashley looked at her, seeing how haunted her eyes were. Sharie's purple gaze pleaded with her, "That's enough, please!" Understanding, Ashley quieted. Sharie must have felt that she had been rather insensetive, however, for she suddenly reached out and pulled Ashley into a fierce hug. "I'm sorry, Ash. You have as much right to feel this as I do, and I should not really have gone cool on you like that, but we have to keep our heads straight." Ashley hugged her back, gratefully. Sharie was not someone you could easily get upset at. "It is all right," she said, sighing. "But what happened--it will not be easy to forget. But you are also right, we have to get out of here. We have to find and exit." They pulled apart, swallowing their fear, their anger, and their hurt, and tried to focus on the task at hand, getting out of here alive. Most of the rooms were similarly decorated with odd objects, and the girls even saw some objects from Earth, such as a collection of rare baseball cards and, of all things, a fossilized dinosaur footprint. But, for all their searching, there was no exit in sight. They had not been searching the endless catacombs long before a cool voice said, "It is no use looking. There is no way out of here." Surprised, they turned to see a golden-haired girl, about Sharie's age, standing behind them. "I know Darkonda, he won't let you out of here." This had to be the other person whom Darkonda had mentioned, but she seemed out of place here. There was something about her that said she was used to more than this. The girl stared at them, but when her brown gaze fell on Sharie, it became particularly intense. "Have we..." she stopped, hesistating. "Have we met before? You look like someone I used to know, years ago..." Sharie frowned, studying the girl. She could not immediately recall, but the girl *did* look familiar somehow...the shade of brown her eyes had, the golden color to her hair, the shape of her jaw... Sharie looked into the girl's intense dark eyes, and suddenly it clicked. "Are you...the girl who was with Darkonda...he went to see Dark Dresden...almost twelve years ago...Kerone?" she stumbled uncertainly. The girls eyes flew open in shock, and Ashley could not believe her ears, espcially what she heard next. "Now....now I remember you! You are that Triforian Pricess Dark Dresden kidnapped, and Darkonda offered to trade me for you! He wanted your mental powers or something like that! Yes, my name is Kerone!" Ashley's mind was whirling. "Kerone...Andros's sister...?" "What?" said the girl, turning her head. Her eyes were wide and immediately filled with tears. "How do you know my brother? Is he alive? *Please* tell me!" Sharie found her tongue again. "Kerone...Yes, Andros is alive, and well. He has been looking for you for many years. He wears a silver locket around his neck, with...that design!" She pointed to the telltale necklace the girl wore. Kerone's eyes went wide and she reached up and clasped the locket around her neck. "That is right..." she started to cry softly. "I thought he would have given up looking for me years ago!" "We are his teammates," said Ashley softly. "He has never given up looking for you, Kerone. You must come with us, if we are able to escape." Kerone's eyes flashed with pain, and she shook her head. "No, I cannot! I cannot leave this compound. Darkonda says he has a device implanted in my arm, that if I managed to teleport out, once I got to my destination it would release toxins that would send me into an agonizing death in seconds. If I were to cut open my arm to remove it, it would explode in my face instantly. It cannot be deactivated, so I have no way out of here." Ashley was pale. "Teleport? You can teleport? You know how, but cannot leave?" "I am Darkonda's servant. Of course I know how. I know how to deactivate the generator that keeps the dampening field around this place intact." Ashley's eyes lighted up. "Then *please* help us to get out of here! We will find some way to get you out of here, too, I promise! Andros will be thrilled to see you again!" Kerone shook her head, tears streaming down her face as she came to a decision. "I will help you get out of here, if I can, but as I said, there is no way I can leave. I believe Andros would not like it if I came back to him as a corpse. The toxins my device is supposed to release have no antidote, and I will die within seconds." Ashley's eyes went bright with tears. This was too cruel, to both Kerone and Andros! "Then if we get out of here, we will come back with the Megaship! *Something* can be done, I know it!" "That is not logical," said Kerone in a monotone voice. "This place is hidden from sensors by magic, and Darkonda moves me often. I will be gone soon after you are in any case. He likes to keep me hidden--the times I actually remember being with him, anyway." "What could we do, then?" asked Sharie softly, feeling guilty. Andros had done so much for her and Trey to bring them together, it was not fair that she would meet up with Kerone again, only to be unable to bring her along! "And would you not get in trouble for letting us go?" Kerone's eyes brightened suddenly, she had an idea. "I know. Give him this," she said, pulling a ring from her finger and handing it to Sharie. It was small, but the design on it matched the lockets perfectly. "He will recognize it, and know you are not telling a lie and I am alive. And now that someone knows, maybe the chances are slightly greater that I could be rescued one day. And above all, please, tell him I do not blame him. He was a little kid himself that particular day, what could he have done?" Sharie nodded, slipping the ring into her jeans pocket. "But how would you get us out of here, without getting yourself in trouble?" "I can make the time the generator goes down look like a computer glitch. You took advantage of it and teleported out. I never met you, for this place is large. Darkonda knows I have never lied to him before, he will believe me." Her eyes glittered. "There is only one thing I request." "Anything, if we can give it," said Ashley and Sharie at once. "While we are working on the generator, tell me about Andros. I do so want to know about him." "Deal," said the girls at the same time. **** Cassie sat in a corner chair of the room, saying nothing, not seeing anything. She simply stared off into space, her eyes empty and devoid of emotion. Phantom was right beside her, silent also, but his body posture conveying that he felt her distress. Carlos was still at the sensor station, for he had never left it in the past several hours. He was concentrating so much on the readouts, he was getting a headache, but he ignored it. Frantic thoughts kept popping up in his mind, all-too-clear images of Sharie being forced against her will by that monster who had taken her long ago and shattered her life to dust, forcing her to rebuild it among strangers. It had shattered another person's life, also, the life of the person pacing silently in a corner of the bridge, hands clasped behind his back. His face was it's usual neutral tones, but his eyes were losing that battle. They were full of old aching torment, and the sharp pain of new ones, and dark anger lit up his eyes like fiery coals. Andros was watching another set of readouts nearby Carlos, concentrating just as hard as the black Lightstar Ranger. In a way, Carlos was grateful for the company as the two boys frantically searched for their missing girlfriends, yet were afraid of what they would find. Cassie's news had only concerned them more, and once she had finished telling her tale (Carlos sensed she had left out the worse parts, but it was still shocking) she had lapsed into silence and shut down, almost literally. Not even Phantom's comforting presence besides her could bring her out of her shell of torment. He did sense, though, that it was building, and it could explode at any time. It did, and with a vengence. "Well, say it already!" she shouted, so loudly and suddenly that everyone on the bridge stopped their activity and stared at her in surprise. DECA's light flashed on. "Go ahead and say it!" she continued, tears filling her eyes as it all hit her at once. "Say I should have stayed and done something! Say I should not have left them to fend for themselves! Even if they are now in Darkonda's grasp, how much better off are they? Astronema will still destroy them!" She burst into tears, and instantly Phantom was there, gathering her close and offering what comfort he could. "Cassie--" Carlos swallowed his surprise at her sudden outburst. "I doubt if anyone here blames you. How could you think that?" "I could not...think then..." she hiccupped, refusing to meet anybody's gaze. "I did not want to leave them in the middle of the fight, but after what Dark Dresden did to us---when Sharie told me to run, I ran! I should have stayed, tried to help, but I could not think! And now heaven knows where they are at! If Darkonda was unsuccessful--" Her dark gaze flickered to Trey. "And you should be especially upset at me, you are having to go through this all again!" Surprise and disbelief entered his eyes, mingling with all the other tormented emotions there. He shook his head. "Why, no, Cassie. You must never, ever think that I could have such feelings against you. I do not blame you in the slightest." "Listen, Cassie," said Carlos as gently as he could. "Sharie saw the only opprotunity avalible to get word to us about where you were and what was going on, and she took it. She saw you were in the right position to escape, she told you to go. I know Sharie well enough to know she would not send you to do something she or anybody else would blame you for later. Anybody who does is a damned fool for thinking it." His dark gaze traveled the room, seeing agreement in the eyes of every individual, even Trey's. Phantom's posture was enough to say he also agreed. "Are-are you sure?" asked Cassie tenatively. "I cannot stop thinking about that monster, and what he intended to do--" She shook her head, and wiped away the last of her tears. "It all seems like a bad dream, but so vividly real as well." "We are all sure, Cassie," said Trey quietly, coming across the room and laying a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Trust all of us, you did the right thing." Cassie gave him a grateful smile and laid her head tiredly on Phantom's shoulder. After her outburst and the events of the day, she felt completely drained, but undeniably better as well. Plus, Phantom's touch no longer made her feel used, which it had been until now, though she had never told him. Silence reigned on the bridge again as one set of tension drained, only to be replaced by another set as the search for Ashley and Sharie continued. **** "It is all ready now," said Kerone, finishing her tinkering with the large machine marked "regenerator." "Just one more button, and the machine will think it has a systems overload and will attempt to restart, which will take about sixty seconds. During that time, the sheild will not be active. You must leave then, quickly." Sharie nodded, and then bit her lip. "Kerone," she began, taking the girls hand and stumbling over her words. "I swear to you, if there is any way we can get to you we--" "Do not make promises that border on impossiblity," said Kerone, squeezing Sharie's hands and her eyes showing genuine understanding. "Well, we still promise," said Ashley stubbornly. "Someday, Kerone, you will be reunited with Andros." All three girls hugged, then Kerone stepped back toward the large machine behind her. She hit the final button, and Sharie and Ashley felt their morphers buzz to life. "Go, quickly!" she urged. "You do not have much time." "Here!" said Ashley suddenly, reaching into her pocket and retreiving something. It was a picture of Andros she had talked him into getting taken. "Just so you know what he looks like." Kerone gazed at the picture a moment, her eyes filling again with tears. "He is so handsome now," she murmured. "I always knew he would be a ladykiller. Congratulations, Ashley, and good luck with him. Now go, before your time runs out." The girls nodded their goodbye's once more before reaching for their teleporters. There was a brilliant flash of purple and yellow, then they were gone, the generator humming to life once more and leaving Kerone alone, studying the photo with tears streaming down her cheeks. **** Everyone on the bridge blinked at the brilliant yellow and purple lights that lit up the the shaking bridge in the middle of battle, and were quite surprised when Sharie and Ashley materialized out of them and dropped to the floor, rolling to a stop with a sickening thud. Andros, being the first to quickly swallow his astonishment, hit the "fire" button one more time to finish off the Dryseran vessle. The bridge stopped shaking as he got to his feet, reaching eagerly for Ashley's hand and pulling her up. She went willingly into his arms as Sharie just as quickly found herself in her brother's crushing grip. "Are you guys okay?" Andros asked. "Where did you come from? Are you hurt?" "We are fine," said Ashley woodenly. "Did Cassie make it?" was her first concern. Andros looked surprised when she pulled away from him just as quickly as she had gone to him, looking around the room. Instantly, Cassie was over there, crying again and hugging her friend. "I made it. I am glad you did too!" Suddenly, Ashley also felt her pent-up emotions and frustrations roaring to the surface, and she also started to cry. "We are fine," she managed again, feeling a little silly for crying in front of everybody but needing the release. "We just came from a secret compound of Darkonda's. He had trapped us there, but we escaped." She glanced over at Sharie, who was leaning rather heavily on her brother's frame, as if she were suddenly very, very tired. Her expression was wooden, her eyes empty of any emotion except torment. She could not even find the solace of tears, even now, and it was probably the thing she and Trey needed the most. Carlos was there also, he had been for some seconds now. "So you escaped before--" he was not sure if he could put it right. Sharie's eyes flickered in his direction, finally showing some recogintion, and she wiggled slightly so Trey would loosen his grip. He did, though he seemed reluctant to let her go, as if it were only her touch that reassured him she was all right. She went over to Carlos and allowed him to throw his arms around her. He could feel her trembling against him, and he suddenly realized the effort it was costing her to hold it all in. She was dangerously close to exploding herself, though she showed almost no other sign. "We were not raped, no," said Ashley, almost choking over the word. "After Cassie ran like Sharie told her to do, Darkonda, Sharie, and I managed to beat off the rest of the guards. That is when Darkonda took us to his compound." TJ had taken over the controls, and began to direct the attack against the last Dryseran vessel. When Sharie noticed what he was doing, she finally sprange to life somewhat. "Do not destroy that vessel!" she cried. "That is the ship Dark Dresden is on! But while I would like to see him destroyed, there are many innocents aboard that ship as well, including his many misused servants. They do not need to be destroyed as well." "I agree," said Andros immediately. "Don't destroy the vessel, then, TJ. Disable it so we can form some sort of party to go aboard and bring Dark Dresden to justice." "Dark Dresden needs to be destroyed, at all costs!" Sharie suddenly burst out. She turned red just as quickly, as if regretting her outburst. "He will be back if he is allowed to live, and he is untrustworthy. The last time he was in this sector of space, he was stripped of everything he had and was banished. But Dryseran law says that a Dryseran will never lose what he has, no matter what, except in cases of treason. He obviously made his way back to Drysera and was given a whole new fleet." Her eyes burned with rage, and Carlos could tell that her redoubled efforts to control herself were taking her dangerously close to the snapping point. She glanced at Trey, then rapidly looked away. He was in a similar state, and she did not want to break down in front of him. There was a beeping sound on the bridge. "The Dryseran vessel is hailing," said DECA coldly, her voice showing what she thought of the whole situation as well. There was sudden silence on the bridge. "Open a channel," said Andros in a deadly voice. TJ obliged him, and the cold blue eyes and golden blond hair of Dark Dresden filled the screen. **** Those icy blue eyes were deadly in the handsome face, and the handsome face was twisted into a sneer. "Call off your attack, rangers," he snarled. "You cannot win." "Face it, Dark Dresden," said Andros cooly, "You are beaten. Stand down and prepare to surrender. That, or be destroyed." "Never!" he snarled. His eyes fell on Sharie, and his rage blazed into outright fury. "Dammit, Sharie, you did it *again!* How dare you! You know too much, and I cannot allow you to live. Don't you know I would have released your friends? Treated you like a queen? Not many have your degree of mental powers. It is still not too late for you to join me." Sharie stood as straight as she could, her chin lifted and her eyes bazing in a way she suspected no one had ever before seen. Her fists were clenched by her sides as she fought to control her almost unnatural rage. When she spoke, it was controlled and centralized. "I am going to say the word again, Dark Dresden, the word you cannot ever seem to accept. *No*! I would not help you then, I will not betray my friends now! I would not help you in any conventional means even when you beat me within an inch of my life all those years ago. I will not let you sway me with sweet words and promises of glory. I do not desire it, and your reign of terror over innocent victims has come to an end!" "Oh?" he said cooly, almost mockingly. "You were going to give yourself to me, it seemed, back in the prison. I have my weapons trained on your vessel. Join me, or you all die." She could not believe how simple he made it sound. "I was only going to do it to save my friends from your perverted lusts. They are more important to me than anything you could ever be. And we both outgun and outnumber you. I have a whole fleet of vessels under my control now, Dark Dresden. I have grown up, and my powers are too much for you. Surrendering is your only option. "Hogwash!" he dismissed her claim to a fleet of vessles with a wave of his hand. "I have heard of your powers, Sharie, but even I am not dumb enough to believe you have a whole fleet at your disposal. Fine, you refuse, and since you know too much and I want my revenge on you, you must die. Say goodnight, Gracie!" Before he could shut off the channel, however, he looked in a direction beyond them, and started to utter some protests. "Hey, what are *you* doing here?" he asked, moving beyond the visual range of the signal. "Get out of my quarters, and get away from me. Get--" An earsplitting scream filled the air, as if somebody was in their death throes. Then there was slience, and Astronema filled the screen. She smiled wickedly. "Greetings, rangers. Sorry about that, I had a score to settle with Dark Dresden here for betraying me and not keeping his word. So, to put it mildly, I took care of him for you. His servants have been freed. I won't harm them, after what they have been through. It would simply not be worth it. I will let them take this ship and go home. Until we meet again, rangers." She gave them an almost innocent smile before her face vanished from the screen. Sharie slumped, and Carlos was suddenly there again. She made not a sound, her face remained wooden and her eyes empty, but she was glad some small part of her nightmarish past was over. **** A few moments later, though, she straightened herself and caught Ashley's eye. "Ash..." she said quietly, indicating Andros with a nod. Ashley nodded also, and took Andros's hand to pull him over to the corner of the bridge. "Andros, we have something to tell you..." she trailed off as Sharie joined them. As they began a whispered conversation unintelligible to the ears of the others present, Trey caught Carlos's eye. "I will be in my assigned guest room," he said softly. Carlos nodded, understanding Trey's desire to be alone. The young Lord of Triforia slipped out the door onto the lift, the doors hissing shut behind him. A moment later, Andros's gasped, "*What?!*" could be heard by everybody present. Sharie handed him something small. He glanced at it, then burst into tears. Ashley reached for him and held onto him as tightly as she could. A few minutes later, he glanced at Sharie, mouthing the words, "Thank you." She reached for his hand and squeezed it gently before backing out of the conversation. This was mostly between him and Ashley, while she had a brother to find. She was not going to let him sit alone with his misery, and his feelings were more important to her than her own. **** "Come in," said the monotone voice on the other side. Sharie frowned, but reached up and pressed the "enter" button, so the doors swung open. Trey was at the windows, on the windowseat, where she rather expected him to be. Silent as a shadow, she stepped in and came over to him, her eyes staring at his unseeing and uncomprehending face, as wooden and neutral as her own. Only his eyes revealed the utter torment that was only a thread away from breaking loose over the ghosts of the past that had so recently come back to haunt them both. It burned her with her own pain to see him like that. Her own feelings were beside the point, she was too used to shutting herself off from the ever-growing, horrendous pain,but she could not stand to see him like this. She stared at him until he blinked and turned his head, as if finally aware she was there. She knew he had known since she stepped in, but only now was he responding. Neither moved as their eyes locked, and an eternity seemed to pass as she sensed him trying to read her gaze, but was unable to as she tightened her control further. It was probably the wrong thing to do, for she sensed his frustration. "Dammit, Sharie," he suddenly hissed, choking on the words. "Please don't shut me out! Sometimes I cannot stand it when you are here in body but not in spirit!" She blinked, startled. "I am not--" "Yes, you are!" he snapped. "Don't you recall what it is like, Sharie, to have you gone then and now, leaving only icy emptiness? And then when you return, your eyes and spirit seem to be absent so it is almost the same as if you were still gone!" "So do you, Trey Taryn Triesta!" she almost shouted as her control started to give way. "You always try not to show it when you hurt, and I can never get it out of you at times! If I did not remain neutral, you would never reveal a thing! Besides, my feelings are besides the point! I lost the ability to care about what I felt long ago! But *you*--you are more important to me than my life, Trey, don't you know that by now? How can I help you if you don't give me the chance?" "Sharie!" he grabbed her arms suddenly and forced her to look into his eyes. "Don't you ever, and I mean *ever*, think your feelings are besides the point, for they are not! You are not half a person, Sharie! You cannot shut yourself off from them as if you are stone!" "Let me go!" she said, struggling against his grip. "I am stone, Trey Triesta! I have empathy and compassion because I hate to see others suffer, but I am stone, and that is all there is to it! It is how I have had to survive, and it is what you did, don't deny it! And don't ever tell me what I may and may not do again. Now let me go!" "No!" he said firmly. He was stronger than she was, and he kept his grip tight. "Not until I reach the person whom you truly are, Sharie! I have seen flashes of her, but she never takes hold for long, but it is a person I would want to see. Sometimes, I think I do not know you anymore." "I said, *let me go*!" She did not know where her rage came from, but it surged through her so suddenly it gave her a strength she did not know she had. Before she realized what she had done, she had wrestled free from his bruising grip, her hand had flashed out, and she had slapped him across the face. She had never before struck anybody in anger like that in her entire life. She had never allowed herself to lose that much control. It shocked her into silence, and she stared at him, completely horrified. He looked stunned. "Oh, gods, Trey, I..." She turned on her heels and bolted to her own quarters right next to his. She collapsed in a heap on the floor by a couch, shaking, not noticing the tears streaming down her face, faced with the consequences of letting her own anger get the best of her. She bit her lips, trying to fight it all back down under an impenetrable barrier so no one would ever see them again. She was too dangerous. She did not meet with much success, for she leaned her head on the cushions, her tears still somehow escaping her eyes. She did not dare reach out her mind to Trey's, she was too afraid of the anger she would surely find. She ignored her sore arms where his grip had seemed like iron. She closed her eyes, wishing the whole universe would just *go away*. She was unaware he had entered her quarters until she heard his quiet footsteps stop beside her. She was afraid to open her eyes for a moment as she heard him kneel beside her and his hand slip into one of hers. "Lalinka..." came a soft, barely audible whisper. "Please, look at me..." Only then did her eyes open and her head raise. Still scared of what she would see, knowing it would destroy her, she met his gaze. His face was tearstreaked, it was obvious he too had been crying. But when her gaze finally met his, she was shocked to see that there was not one hint of anger in his dark depths, but a pleading look was penetrating the pain and torment that was also there, silently begging her to open up to him, at least a little. But it was the love she still saw there, and the fierce loyalty, that really made her lose the last of her defenses. A sob lodged in her throat as, hoping he would not push her away, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him tightly, burying her face in his chest. She felt him shaking as his arms closed around her as tightly as he dared. "Gods, Trey, I am so sorry! Please forgive me..." she stumbled around the choking sobs as she found her defenses completely gone. "It is all right, Lalinka," he murmured, rocking her. "It was my fault, not yours. You had every right to slap me for not listening to you." "No, I did not! I have never struck anybody like that before, Trey. That is why I dare not lose control. When I do, I lose too much. I still do not see how you can forgive me." He stroked her hair, soothing her as best he could while ignoring the tears streaming freely down his own face. Maybe some good did come of the argument, for he had finally reached her. And the slap she had dealt him had shocked him enough into losing his own defenses, although he still thought he had deserved it. She squirmed in obvious discomfort when his arms brushed her upper arms, and he shoved up the short sleeves, feeling a new sense of horror as he saw the angry red gripmarks. Some would be bruises. "*That* is why I deserved it!" he choked angrily. "Dammit, Sharie, I caused you pain! Why did you not tell me?" She shoved her sleeves back down. "I was too angry at you for trying to force me to do what I thought I could not do. I hate feeling this raw, this exposed! I certainly also do not like showing it! I have had to learn to bury it, and the pain will never abate, you know that as well as I! The pain of losing you, the pain of loving you, the painful thought of how things went and how I could do nothing! And the pain now of hurting you physically when you did not deserve it! I love you, Trey, and I do not want to live if even the slightest part of you is angry at me." "Lalinka, I am not angry, truthfully. I do not know how to convince you of that, but *please* do not shut down again before we have had a chance to talk. I know it sounds like rubbing salt into wounds, but there is too much that needs to be said." She nodded, but was silent again as her quiet sobs abated, though the tears continued to stream heedlessly down her face. They were silent for a long time, letting loose the flood of emotion that had ensnared them for so long. Sharie, though, made the silent decision that there was still a great deal of her past she could never tell them. Trey, holding onto her as tightly as he dared and not wanting to let go, also made the same silent vow. **** "...And the next thing I knew, I was rolling to a stop on your ship," said Cassie, staring off into space as she completed her tale. She had repeated it with full detail at Tar'yn's insistence, and she was glad to get it all off her chest. "Trust me, Cassie, when I say you did do the right thing," he assured her, hugging her close to his unmorphed chest in the privacy of her bedroom. She relaxed against him, finally feeling the last of her guilt fade. "I know so now, too, " she admitted, feeling him kiss her forehead. It caused goosebumps to break out all over her skin. "Then don't fret over it anymore," he said, seeming to be unable to stop himself as he kissed her head again. "You did the right thing, and everything turned out like we had hoped. I am proud of you, Cassie, no doubt everyone is for your bravery." "That is sweet," she admitted, turning her face up so that when he would have kissed her head again, he met her lips instead. He felt the familiar fire burn at the wanting of her, but again restrained himself. "Cassie, are you sure you want to do this? It is your first time, and you know what happened..." For answer, she reached up and pressed her lips to his again, her mouth scorching against his. Some tenuous link inside of him must have snapped, for he suddenly crushed her against him, pressing his mouth to hers, hard, his lips urging hers open so his tongue could slide inside. she responded eagerly, pressing against him and leaning into the heated embrace for all she was worth. "Last chance, Cassie," he rasped, coming up for air. His hands did not seem to obey his commands to still, for they were slipping under her shirt even as he spoke. "If you keep pressing me like this, I am not going to have enough control left to stop easily." She moaned softly as his hands roamed over her soft skin, and her lips burned against his again. He lost control then and ceased caring, pulling her down on the bed to make the most of what they obviously both wanted so desperately. Things might keep them apart for now, but they always had tomorrow, after all. **** "You look bushed, Querida," Carlos teased gently when he saw her the next morning. "What did you do, fall asleep on the floor?" She blinked, trying to control her surprise. He was exactly right, more than she cared to have him know. The sheild had slipped back into place again, but with a difference. The pain would always torment her, but it no longer boiled at the surface like it had been doing of late. Her eyes had ceased being dull, or tormented, or enraged. They were now brighter than Carlos had seen them recently, and for that, he was glad. It was obvious in Trey, too, and the difference was encouraging. They were laughing and joking around with the other rangers, for once, and Sharie seemed more willing to let her positive side show. "Beauty treatment," she joked as he hugged her, not letting him see her wince. Due to her accelerated healing, there was now little evidence of the bruises from Trey's crushing grip, but it was still a little sore. "Ha, ha," he responded, kissing her briefly. "Do you have time to come with me this morning, Querida?" he asked. "Where and why?" she asked, seeing the mischevious grin on his face. "You will see. I already talked to your Aunt Marisha and Uncle Thoene about it, they agreed to help me." She stared at him as they teleported to her house, right on the beach by her lake. There was a box beside the bench, and he pulled her over to it. "Open it," he directed. She gave him an odd look, but obeyed him. She gasped in a mixture of shock and delight as she lifted the cover. "Oh, kittens!" she exclaimed. Two small, half-grown kittens, as blue as the sky, jumped out of the box directly into her lap. "Carlos, they are so cute!" "I saw how much you liked that kitten we returned to the little girl, and I thought a couple of cats would be the perfect way for you to have company even when you are alone." Her grin of delight told him he had done the right thing. "They are smart, too. I think they understand what we say to them. They are a boy and a girl. Only problem is, they have not yet been fixed." "I can train them to behave," she said, studying them. "And no cat of mine will find themselves fixed with surgery. That is cruel. I can use medication to help with that. Have they names?" "That is up to you, Querida," he chuckled. Sharie grinned at him before studying the tom kitten, who had eyes a clear, hypnotic topaz. "He shall be called Topaz," she said, echoing Carlos's own thoughts. "And the girl..." She saw the cat had purple eyes, much like her own. "Violeta," she said with finality. They purred, liking the names, and settled down in her lap to snooze, typical cats in every sense. "And what thanks do I get?" asked Carlos jokingly. She looked surprised, then amused. "Don't push it, Perez," she said, also jokingly, before leaning over and pressing her lips to his. "Men. They will do anything for a kiss." Carlos laughed and ruffled her hair. "For you, Querida, I guess that literally does mean anything." "Let's not make it so hard, shall we?" She leaned over again, pressing her lips against his harder. "I am not that difficult to please." He smiled and returned her heated kisses without further comment.
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