Matter of Honor
by Starhawk

"Those Astro Rangers are *everywhere*," the girl muttered, pacing back and forth across the metal decking of the Dark Fortress. Her mind was racing, and she couldn't help speaking aloud to herself. "Don't they know how to mind their own business?"

"Interfering *is* a Power Ranger's business," Ecliptor deep voice rumbled from behind her, and she whirled. "The Astro Rangers are no doubt here to repay the Aquitians for their protection of Earth."

*But I don't *want* them to be here!* she cried silently. She frowned sternly at the being that had cared for her ever since her family had been killed. "They're getting in the *way*," she complained, as though it were somehow his fault.

Ecliptor only nodded, and she spun away to resume her pacing. No matter how quickly she walked, though, she couldn't force the thought of Andros's locket out of her mind. *How could he possibly have that?* she wondered, the gold disc shimmering in her memory.

Her hand went involuntarily to her own necklace, the locket that hung on it a mirror image of the Red Ranger's. Only one other person in the universe should have a pendant like that, and he had been killed when she was too young to understand. Or so she had always believed…

She heard the metallic whisper of quantron speech, and as she reached the wall and turned back, Ecliptor signaled to her. "My princess, main propulsion is back online."

"And the velocifighters?" she demanded. While the shields on the Dark Fortress were nearly impenetrable, their offensive capabilities depended heavily on the small fighter ships.

"Another wing is prepared for launch, with a second standing by," Ecliptor informed her, and she nodded.

"Excellent." This was something she at least understood. Whoever Andros really was, she decided, he had gotten in her way one too many times. "Begin the second attack."

***

Carlos was the last one out of the Medical bay. He hesitated in the doorway, glancing back over his shoulder. He wasn't surprised to see Phantom demorph suddenly, head bowed over Cassie's still form as he reached for her hand.

Joining the others in the hall, Carlos wondered again how this could have happened. Cassie was a Ranger--Rangers always came back from battles. Somewhat worse for wear, sometimes, but never with anything that couldn't be healed or cured by a few nights sleep.

*Except for Phantom's team,* his mind reminded him. *None of them came back at all.*

"Everyone thought the entire Elisian Ranger team had died," Zhane had told them, and Carlos sighed. *Phantom's not going to be able to handle this, not on top of everything he's already lost…*

Somehow, it was easier to feel sympathy for Phantom than it was to think about Cassie. *She isn't really gone,* he thought automatically, and even though he knew it wasn't true, he couldn't seem to get his mind around the concept.

He shook his head, not wanting to think about it. The Dark Fortress was still out there, and if it had attacked Aquitar once, it would attack again. He tried to concentrate on that thought, rather than the image of Cassie prone on a patient bed.

"Someone will have to remain here," Cestria was saying quietly, tilting her head to one side. "Whatever block he had is obviously gone, or he simply does not care anymore--someone has to keep him from projecting to the entire citydome."

"I will stay," Aura offered, her voice equally soft. Then she cocked her head at the healer. "Unless you can--"

But the unnamed Aquitian shook his head. "I can barely tell he's projecting at all, let alone do anything about it."

Cestria nodded, and Carlos glanced around the hallway. Ashley was leaning against Andros, eyes closed and apparently paying no attention to the conversation. Zhane stood beside them, gaze downcast, and tenser than Carlos had ever seen him.

Annoyance flared suddenly within Carlos. Zhane had known Cassie less time than any of them--what right did *he* have to be upset?

But the thought was quickly suppressed as his mind once more rejected the possibility that their teammate was gone from them forever, and he sought out TJ with his eyes. The Blue Ranger glanced in his direction at the same moment, a frown on his face, seemingly as confused as Carlos by the whispered conversation.

"What do you mean, 'projecting'?" Carlos asked finally, careful to keep his voice as quiet as theirs had been. "Telepathically?"

Cestria looked in his direction, and he got the distinct impression of surprise, as though the Aquitians had forgotten anyone else was there with them. "Phantom is an empath," she corrected, but before she could say anything else, an imperative beep cut into the quiet.

Cetaci touched the gold band on her wrist, silencing the noise. A flat voice--Carlos honestly couldn't tell if it was computerized or Aquitian--spoke into the hallway. "The Drani seaport is requesting permission to resume scheduled launches."

"No," Cetaci said sharply. "The threat has not passed." Glancing up, she gestured to Cestria. Without another word, the two Aquitian Rangers disappeared into white and yellow water molecule shapes, presumably on their way back to the control room.

"Uh…" Carlos looked around, not certain this was the time to bring it up. "What does being an empath have to do with it?"

Aura looked over at him, and he blinked at her close regard. "An empath senses emotions, not thoughts. I had never thought Phantom particularly strong, but today…"

She trailed off, glancing toward the open door of the Medical bay. "He is projecting on a level almost equivalent to Cestria, which is unusual even among Aquitians."

"We should go," Billy interrupted gently. Delphinius was practically fidgeting at his side. "Cestria and Cetaci may need help, and we need to find out how badly damaged the Dark Fortress was."

"Not badly enough," Andros interjected, looking over at him. "We'll come with you, and give you as much information as we have."

"I--" Billy stopped, exchanging glances with Delphinius. "All right," he said abruptly. "Thank you."

"What?" TJ asked, catching Carlos's eye before cocking his head at Billy. "Is there a problem?"

Billy hesitated. "No," he said finally.

"Cetaci is somewhat proud," Delphinius said, not looking at them. "She has, to some degree, instilled that feeling in the rest of the team."

"Please don't take offense," Billy added. "We appreciate any help you can offer, and we're grateful for your assistance earlier."

He led them into the lift, but Carlos still didn't understand. "You helped us, on Earth--how is this different?"

"The Astro Rangers are not specific to one world," Delphinius said, glancing at Billy. "You defend Earth, but there are reports of you battling evil across the galaxy."

"So?" TJ asked, reaching out to catch the door before it could close. He gestured to Zhane, still standing in the hallway.

"It is reasonable to expect your team to cooperate with others," Billy explained. "But we defend Aquitar. That's our job, and Cetaci feels that we should be able to do it without any outside intervention."

Zhane finally stepped into the lift, and the doors slid shut behind him as the lift hummed to life. "There's no shame in accepting help," Andros said, glancing first at his friend and then around at the rest of the Astro Rangers. "This team has taught me that."

"It is a lesson Cetaci would do well to learn," Delphinius muttered, and Billy shot a warning look in his direction.

Carlos couldn't help looking over at TJ again. There was obviously some friction between the Black Aquitian Ranger and their leader, and the look TJ gave him said he hadn't missed it. They rode the rest of the way in silence.

***

He managed to hold himself together for the ride up to the control room, fighting the dizziness and the memories, but Zhane couldn't restrain a shudder as he stepped quickly out of the lift. He didn't care what it took--he was *not* getting in one of those things again.

He felt Andros's hand on his shoulder as the others followed him out of the lift more slowly, but he couldn't look up. He concentrated on breathing, reminding himself that there was plenty of room up here and trying to pretend there was no water beyond these walls.

*Will you be all right?* Andros asked silently, and he finally lifted his head. The Aquitians had joined their teammates across the room, but Ashley was at Andros's side, and Carlos and TJ were staring at him.

"Headache," he managed, echoing the excuse Cassie had given at breakfast once. "I--I think I'll go back to the Megaship."

Andros nodded, ignoring the others. "We'll call you if we need you."

With shaking hands, Zhane flipped his digimorpher open and escaped into a comforting stream of silver. The familiar lights of the Bridge faded into view, and he glanced automatically toward the viewscreen. It showed Aquitar spinning peacefully below the Megaship, and he went over to the auxiliary scanner station to adjust its field of view.

The stars of deep space filled the screen, lightening the close darkness at the edges of his perception. He walked around the front row of stations to stand directly in front of the image, letting the open freedom of space seep into his soul and soothe the fear that lingered there.

***

"*All* seaports," Cetaci repeated firmly, giving the comm console a glare. "Atmospheric transport is grounded until further notice. There are no exceptions."

"The Dark Fortress was hit here, here, and here," Andros was telling Delphinius, indicating several regions on a tactical grid. "From what we've seen--"

"Several zords usually fly with the fighters," Aura informed Carlos, walking in front of Ashley to check a readout on the other side of the control room. "We were simply unprepared this time, due to the training simulation taking place within the fighter wing."

"Why do your Rangers fly starfighters at all?" TJ asked, tagging along as Carlos followed her.

Billy looked up as Aura joined him, glancing back at TJ and Carlos. "It keeps us sharp," he said lightly.

"That is not a good enough reason," Cetaci opined, turning away from the comm system. "Neither of you should have been with the wing when Astronema attacked. We can not afford to be caught without two of our Rangers again."

Cestria turned a little, deliberately putting her back to the conversation as she spoke quietly to the smaller comm screen. Cetaci did not appear to notice, but she did step away from the comm equipment to join the small group gathered off to one side.

Ashley only watched, the words washing over her but making no impression. She didn't understand what was going on, but neither did she particularly care. There was one face missing from this crowd, and that was the face of her best friend.

Cassie wasn't dead. But she was gone beyond all hope of recovery, and somehow that was worse. She would never sit down beside Ashley at breakfast, or sleep over in her room, or gossip with her again. She wouldn't giggle about the guys, or confess her dreams for the future the way the two of them used to…

Ashley couldn't imagine life without her. She couldn't accept that Cassie was gone, and she couldn't believe her friend wouldn't appear at any moment to chide them for holding a strategy session without her. But at the same time, reality kept trying to beat her over the head with the fact that things were irrevocably different now, and all she could do was sit and stare while her mind tried to work things out.

Andros glanced at her from time to time, but he didn't try to say anything. Not anymore, anyway. She was sure he had tried to talk to her when they first arrived in the control room, but she hadn't been able to answer. One of the Aquitians had said something about shock, and she had wanted to shout at them.

What did *they* know about shock? Cassie hadn't been *their* teammate. But a little voice said that Cassie had been living with them for the last week and a half, and perhaps they did understand something of what she was feeling.

She hadn't protested when Andros pushed her into a chair and told her to stay there.

***

"The fighter wing does as much good for Aquitar as the Rangers," Delphinius interrupted, turning away from his conversation with Andros.

"In its own way," Cetaci allowed. "But there are plenty of fighter pilots. There are only five Rangers."

TJ couldn't read the Aquitians' more subtle expressions as easily as he could another human's, but there was no mistaking the angry glare Delphinius gave Cetaci. "There are *not* plenty of fighter pilots. People willing to risk their lives in battle with no Power to protect them are not so common as you seem to think!"

"If the people who *do* have the Power to protect them would do their job, the fighters would not need to risk their lives," Cetaci retorted.

"Please," Cestria interrupted, turning from the comm screen. Her voice was gentle, but it made everyone stop and listen. "I am trying to tell the Citydome Coordinator that everything is under control, and having two of our Rangers fighting in the background is not reassuring him."

Cetaci stiffened, but she accepted the reproof without comment. Delphinius turned his back on them, telling Andros flatly, "Please, continue."

That was a long-standing grudge if TJ had ever seen one. He glanced over at Carlos, but the Black Ranger was staring down at the console Aura was entering data into. She had managed to ignore the disagreement completely, from the time Cetaci turned away from the comm system on.

"Next time, the Rangers will be prepared," Billy said calmly, as though nothing had happened.

"'Next time' may be sooner than you think," Carlos said, peering over Aura's shoulder. "At least, if I'm reading this right?"

Aura turned. "The Dark Fortress has moved into position behind our moon," she informed the control room. "Power levels indicate that it contains at least one launch-ready squadron of velocifighters."

***

Everyone heard Aura's announcement. Andros looked up, and saw Cestria cutting off the comm link she had been using. His gaze tracked across the room, worriedly regarding the only person who didn't seem fazed by the Red Aquitian Ranger's words.

Ashley was still staring off into space, apparently oblivious to her surroundings. He wanted to reach out to her, to say something, but he recognized the look of numbness on her face. She was unresponsive in a way he had been himself at certain times in his life, and he knew there were no words to magically return her to normal. She would have to work through this on her own.

"Alert the fighter wing," Cetaci told Cestria. Turning to her male teammates, she added, "I assume your zords have not fallen into disrepair during your fighter scrimmages?"

Her words might have been directed at both of them, but she was gazing pointedly at Delphinius. He glared back, refusing to answer, and it was Billy who broke the silence. "The Zaal and Sirethian zords are ready for launch at any time," he informed her, then added neutrally, "as you know."

Her gaze flickered in his direction, and Andros spoke up quickly. "The Megaship will help as well," he said. "You can count on us."

"No," Cetaci said, turning toward him. "We will defend this world ourselves, Astro Rangers."

"Cetaci," Billy began, but a glance from Cestria stopped him.

Stepping to her leader's side, Cestria said quietly, "We helped them on Earth. They are only returning the favor, Cetaci."

"It is unnecessary," Cetaci insisted. "At full strength, we are capable of defeating the Dark Fortress."

Andros opened his mouth to object. Even the Megaship couldn't defeat the Dark Fortress on anything more than a temporary basis. With their combined forces, they would at least have a chance.

"You are not," a voice said from the doorway, cutting Andros off before he could say a word. "The Dark Fortress is stronger than all the Aquitian zords combined."

Every last Ranger turned to gaze at Phantom as he entered the room. Even Ashley looked up, and the silence that descended on the control room was almost a tangible thing.

He walked up to the tactical grid displayed on the main screen, and Andros stepped out of the way. Phantom just stared at the schematic of the Dark Fortress for a moment, then turned to address them again. "The Megaship barely holds its own against the Dark Fortress," he told them matter-of-factly. "Five individual zords will not be sufficient to drive it back."

"You underestimate us," Cetaci said, lifting her head. "This team has never been defeated."

"This team has never *fought*," Phantom snapped. "The last real threat this planet faced was the Hydro Contaminators, and not *one* of you was a part of the team that defeated them."

"They weren't defeated," Billy said quietly. "A compromise was reached, and a peace treaty negotiated."

"That is irrelevant," Phantom answered coldly. "The fact remains that Aquitar can not stand alone against Astronema."

"The Astro Rangers are not more experienced than we," Cetaci said indignantly--completely missing the point, Andros thought.

Phantom didn't bother with tact. "Yes, they are," he told her. "But what I am trying to tell you is that no one team can defeat Astronema. You must stand together, or not at all."

"Aquitar has never needed any defenders but its own Ranger team," Cetaci countered.

"This is not *about* Aquitar anymore!" Phantom almost shouted. "How can you not see that!"

Andros tried not to flinch. He had never heard Phantom shout before, and the armored Ranger was an imposing figure when angry. Cetaci did not reply.

Phantom took what was clearly meant as a calming breath. "The Inner Alliance is being run from Aquitar. The Frontier Defense is in part coordinated from here. Zordon himself is *here*. On *Aquitar*. This is no longer a single planet; it is becoming the focus for the League's defense. The Aquitian Rangers can not take responsibility for something so large."

"The Eltaran Rangers protected their planet from the time the League was formed," Cetaci said, her voice not quite as firm as it had been before. "It is a matter of honor."

"The Eltaran Rangers failed," Phantom replied harshly. "They alone did not protect Eltare; they were joined by forces from across the League. And in the end, it was not enough. Eltare *fell*. If you wish to prevent Aquitar from sharing that fate, I suggest you learn to cooperate. Honor will do you no good if you are dead."

The sound of the attack alarm prevented Cetaci from responding, and Aura announced calmly, "The Dark Fortress is approaching Aquitar."

Cetaci gathered her teammates up with a glance, and their battle cry could be heard easily above the sound of the alarm. "Rangers of Aquitar, we need full power!"

Andros looked around at his own teammates, and found all of them, even Ashley, watching him and waiting. "You will stay," Cetaci ordered him, before he could say anything.

Cestria touched a control on the comm console and nodded to her leader. "The fighter wing has launched," she said.

Suddenly, Phantom was at Andros's side. "Morph," he said, in a voice that left no room for argument, and Andros nodded.

Cetaci did not miss the exchange. "My planet," she said, stepping in front of Phantom and speaking loudly enough that they could all hear her over the sound of the alarm. "My team. And my decision."

"Your team," he agreed. "*My* decision. I am the senior Ranger here, Cetaci. The Astro team will join yours in defense of Aquitar."

Cetaci tried to stare him down for a moment, than shook her head. "I don't have time to argue with you," she muttered. "Mireth zord," she shouted, with a last glare for Phantom, "Power up!"

The other Aquitian Rangers echoed her cry, disappearing into teleportation beams even as Andros nodded to his teammates. "Let's Rocket!"

***

Andros's mental call had alerted Zhane, but even so he had barely enough time to turn before the rest of the team teleported onto the Bridge. They arrived morphed, and he blinked as each one removed their helmet and hurried to their station. *Andros?*

*Matter of honor,* was all Andros said, and Zhane shrugged.

The Aquitian zords rose out of the atmosphere only seconds before the Megaship's shields went up, coming up from behind the fighter wing and overtaking it in a heartbeat. The Dark Fortress's velocifighters were next, the leading edge blown to pieces by the powerful zords before they could even reach the fighter wing.

"Zhane," Andros snapped, and Zhane looked up to see Andros indicating the empty place beside him.

"Right," he said, after a brief hesitation. Sliding into Cassie's seat, he ran his hands across the controls. "Megalasers online," he announced, just as Carlos spoke.

"Thrusters at maximum capacity," the Black Ranger told Andros, and TJ leaned forward.

"Let's show Astronema what Power Rangers are about," he said grimly.

"We're receiving a transmission from the surface," Ashley said, her neutral tone betraying no sign of anxiety or distress. No sign of anything at all, really.

She didn't wait for Andros's nod to put the audio portion of the message on DECA's speakers. "Rangers, leave this comm link open," Phantom's voice told them. "If you are to work as part of a team, you must be in communication with your allies at all times."

Zhane gave Andros a surprised look. "What's he talking about?"

*The Aquitians aren't very happy about us helping them out,* Andros answered, manuevering the Megaship into position between the Dark Fortress and Aquitar. *Phantom's trying to make Cetaci accept us.*

It wasn't working, Zhane decided, watching a white-tinged zord streak past them on the tactical map. Speeding underneath the Megaship with no acknowledgement whatsoever, Cetaci's voice was clearly audible over Phantom's open comm channel. "Canthris, Sirethian, with me. Zaal and Lissan, reinforce the fighter wing. I don't want anymore casualties today."

Three acknowledgements sounded on the Megaship's Bridge; and Zhane wondered who had not responded. Then the velocifighters were in range, targeting the Megaship and not sparing any laser fire, and there was no more time to wonder.

"Zhane, ignore the velocifighters," Andros ordered, as he demolished one of the little ships. "The Dark Fortress is our primary target."

"I can't fire on the Dark Fortress," Zhane answered, frustrated. "Those zords keep getting in the way!"

"Mireth," Phantom's voice growled. "Back off. You are hindering the Megaship's attack."

"Stay out of this, Phantom," Cetaci's voice warned.

"Mireth, fight *with* the Megaship or stand down!" Phantom snarled, clearly not about to let her dictate the battle plan.

Cetaci complied, her zord spiraling out of the Megaship's line of fire and immediately flanked by Aura and Billy. Zhane opened fire, hearing Andros order the three zords into backup positions. For once, Cetaci did not argue, and the four ships managed, by some miracle, to coordinate their attack.

A small explosion on the Fortress's port side made Zhane wince, and he tried not to think about who was on that ship. He didn't even *know* who was on that ship, when it came right down to it, but it was someone he didn't think he wanted to see hurt.

In battle, however, there was no halfway. There was "us" and "them", and for now at least, she was "them". The Megalasers continued to fire.

"Megaship, fall back," Cetaci demanded suddenly. Zhane didn't lift his eyes from the tactical map, but he heard Andros asking for the reason.

"Fall *back*," her voice repeated sharply, and suddenly Zhane saw what she was counting on. The fighter wing was coming up on their starboard side, led by the other two zords, and at the angle they were coming in, Astronema would never see them until they were right on top of the Dark Fortress.

*Andros, move,* Zhane told him. *Thirty degrees to starboard, now.*

Andros didn't question him, and the Megaship dove out of the way--revealing the entire wing of Aquitian fighters converging on the Dark Fortress. The Megaship dropped back, keeping the remaining velocifighters from ambushing the Aquitians, and the Dark Fortress was suddenly alone.

Until another wave of velocifighters launched.

***

Carlos kept his attention fixed on the nav readout, making sure Andros's impulsive course changes didn't send them careening into another ship. But he heard enough of the Aquitians' broadcasts--and the conspicuous silences in the chatter--to realize that they were communicating telepathically almost as much as they were via the comm system.

*No wonder Cetaci knew what the fighter wing was doing,* he thought, coordinating yet another impossible maneuver. *One of them must have let her know--or let Cestria know, and she told Cetaci?* Carlos shook his head. He didn't know who could talk to whom anymore, and he didn't have time to figure it out.

Those zord names weren't helping matters any, either. He couldn't match code name to Aquitian to save his life--all he was certain of was that "Mireth" was Cetaci. And he thought "Sirethian" was Billy… but he couldn't spare enough attention to be sure.

"Zhane!" TJ exclaimed, as the Megaship took another hit from behind.

"TJ!" Zhane mimicked, then amended, "Or should I say, 'Andros!' If you'd stop throwing us around like an abused telekinesis ball, maybe I could actually aim here."

"Wouldn't do you any good," Andros muttered, but the Megaship's erratic course smoothed out a little. "You couldn't hit Aquitar if you were standing on the surface."

"Oh, and I suppose you'd like to try," Zhane retorted, hunching over the firing controls again.

The ship spun again, and Andros answered a moment later. "No. What would be the point of hitting Aquitar?"

Carlos chuckled, inputting another series of commands into the nav console. "Hang on," he warned suddenly, overriding Andros's control and sending the Megaship into a steep climb.

"Canthris, join the fighter wing," Cetaci's voice ordered. "Sirethian, with me."

This time, Carlos was listening for and heard the acknowledgements of both Aura and Billy. Billy and Cetaci's zords followed the Megaship "up", and Andros glanced over at Zhane's tactical readout. "Carlos?"

"We need to get behind the Dark Fortress," Carlos explained, glad Cetaci had seen what he was doing without needing an explanation.

"Right," Andros interrupted, obviously seeing the setup on Zhane's display. "If we can get some of the velocifighters to follow us--"

"--We split their forces," TJ finished for him. "Draw them away from the fighter wing; good plan, Carlos."

As soon as the second round of velocifighters had launched, Cestria's voice had warned the Megaship that they were firing the same weapons that had caught Cassie earlier. Ever since, the unspoken agreement between the Aquitian zords and the Megaship had been that they would draw as much fire from the fighter wing as possible.

No one knew what effect that laser fire would have on a Power-enhanced ship, but they had had a graphic demonstration of what it did to an ordinary ship. And that was not a demonstration anyone wanted to repeat.

***

"Aquitian zords have returned to their launch bays," the control room's computer announced, and Phantom tried to unclench his fingers from the console in front of him.

Astronema had been driven back. The Astro Rangers and the Aquitians were safe, and no more fighters had fallen to the discolored ray that had claimed one of their number earlier that day.

But that one fighter that *had* fallen still haunted his mind. He should have been there, should have been at her side when the Dark Fortress appeared, should have protected her in a battle she was too inexperienced to fight. What had he been *thinking* when he let her go out in a starfighter by herself?

He had thought the fighter wing safe. It had never occurred to him to tell the wing commander that she had no experience in a starfighter battle, for he had not truly believed Aquitar would be attacked. Now he could only curse his own blindness, and wish desperately that he could somehow turn back time and listen to the feeling that had urged him so strongly *not* to let her go with them.

"Phantom," Cetaci's voice said, but he did not look up.

He heard her pace across the control room, soft boots quiet on the coral floor. "You were right--" She hesitated for only a moment. "About the Astro Rangers. They were worthy allies in battle, and… their assistance was valued."

The last she said more quickly, but still he did not look up. So Cetaci was finally learning to see more than her own narrow worldview. That wider vision was one she should have developed long ago, as soon as she became a Ranger, and he had no patience with her insecurity now.

"The Astro Rangers have remained on their Megaship," she said suddenly, "but we are eating in the mess hall, if you wish to join us."

This time he did raise his head, regarding her with an expression she could not see behind his visor. He never ate with the Aquitian Rangers--partly because he could go longer without eating in his morphed state, and partly because to eat would *require* him to demorph. And Cetaci knew that perfectly well.

She lowered her eyes for just a moment, then met his gaze squarely. "I want you to know," she said quietly, "that all of us who were in the control room this afternoon have taken a vow of silence. Even the Astro Rangers, although they say they already knew. No one will learn of your identity from us."

He looked away, knowing he should feel relieved. He had worked hard to build a new identity for himself--a faceless identity, one without ties or any kind of past. That identity, first as the Shadow Ranger and then the Phantom, had been his refuge for more than three years, and he had never wanted to give it up.

Until last year. Until the one person who had made him long to demorph and to feel another's touch for the first time in a long while. Until she had smiled at him, and not cared what his name was, and told him that the past he had been hiding from didn't matter. Until the person who had touched his soul and warmed his heart, making him wish suddenly that he had not given all semblance of a normal life up to become the Shadow Ranger.

The same person who had betrayed him today. The one who had forcibly revealed his true identity to the Rangers he had worked with for months--not content in merely uttering his name, she had taken his crystal and smirked as he demorphed before their eyes.

*Cassie,* he cried, in the privacy of his own mind. *You can't leave me, Cassie; you can't do this…*

But Cetaci was still standing there, waiting for a response, and he tried to collect himself enough to give one. He should be relieved. But all he could think of was that horrible look on Cassie's face, and the awful feeling that she was slipping farther and farther from him with every word…

"Thank you," he managed to say dully. "I appreciate your effort."

Cetaci nodded and turned away without further comment, seeming to sense his wish to be alone. But she hesitated in the doorway again, looking over her shoulder. "Phantom? Maybe you should try to sleep."

He just looked at her. "So I will not bother anyone? I am not projecting anymore; ask Aura yourself. It stopped a few minutes after you left the Medical bay, and no, I can not explain it."

She blinked at the onslaught. "I meant for yourself, Phantom. If you--"

"I will," he said abruptly, impatient for her to leave. "I will sleep. Now go; join your teammates."

She nodded once and disappeared. Not caring about the myriad messages Tobin had left for him over the course of the day, he turned toward the back exit from the control room. The door opened on the hallway that contained the Rangers' living quarters, and he found himself standing, by habit, in front of the room he and Cassie had been sharing.

The door slid open, and his heart jumped into his throat as he caught sight of her slight form lying amid the tangled sheets of the bed.

As his eyes adjusted to the shadows, though, he realized it was only the pillows; a trick of the light and the room's disorganized state. She had left the bed in disarray, as always, and her duffel bag was lying open on the floor by the windows. The clothes she had been wearing yesterday were the only unchaotic thing in the room, folded neatly on the chair where he'd left them when he got up this morning.

He found himself stumbling backwards, moving blindly away from the open doorway and trying to put as much distance between himself and the omnipresent reminders of her as possible. He walked quickly through the control room, and felt the lift hum to life as he stepped inside. He wasn't really surprised when it opened on the prisoner containment facilities four floors down.

*Don't go in, don't go in,* his mind chanted over and over again. *You're trying to forget her, not torture yourself with an evil twin lookalike…*

But he couldn't help it. She wasn't just a lookalike--as he had told her in the control room, she was in some way still Cassie. And they were still linked--he could feel the faint tug on his mind that had always drawn him back to her before. A tug he could no more ignore now than he had been able to then.

He stepped through the first forcefield without any problem, the scanners detecting his Power source and automatically letting him in. The second set of scanners blipped as he stepped forward, though, and the next forcefield crackled warningly. He stopped, and glanced at the readout next to the door in surprise.

Of course. The system was programmed to recognize anything anomalous and deny entry--and two morphers registering on a single person was definitely anomalous. He reached slowly for Cassie's morpher, wondering if he could really leave it out here.

Staring down at it, he let his fingers slide across the pink wristband. He didn't want to let it out of his sight. But in the back of his mind, he knew there was a very slight possibility that she could convince him to do something foolish, and he couldn't let her get her morpher back. However dangerous she might be now, she would be infinitely more so when morphed.

He set the astromorpher down on the console by the door, and the forcefield let him through without further complaint.

She was pacing back and forth across the three-walled room, in front of the transparent forcefield that made up the fourth side. For a moment, she looked no more than frustrated, as though she was focusing all her attention on some puzzle that eluded her.

As the last soundproof forcefield wavered to let him through, though, she glanced up and the illusion was lost. Cassie's expression twisted into one of amused disdain, regarding him with the same look of distaste he had once seen her give Divatox.

"What are *you* doing here?" she demanded, turning toward the forcefield and folding her arms across her chest.

"I came to see you," he said, his voice softer than he had wanted and more than a little hoarse. Gods, it hurt to see her this way. Cassie, devoid of all the compassion and spark that had made her who she was, stared out at him with uncaring contempt on her face.

"You just don't get it, do you," she sneered, stepping closer to the forcefield. "I'm not your girlfriend anymore, *Saryn*. I'm the *enemy*, and there's nothing you can do to change that."

He stared at her, frozen, torn between the urge to shake her violently and the desire to get as far away as he could from this warped copy of the woman he loved. "I can't accept that," he whispered finally.

Deliberately, she reached out and laid her hand against the forcefield. The field crackled around her fingers, and he saw her grit her teeth against the discomfort. He took an involuntary step forward, knowing the unpleasant sensation would only get worse the longer she held her hand there and let the charge build, but she stopped him with a glance.

He tried not to gasp as she raised her head to stare at him. Her eyes flashed, glowing a momentary light green, and she growled, "I am *not* the person you knew. Do you understand?"

He shook his head, trying to deny what he was seeing, and he saw her fingers whiten as she pushed harder against the forcefield. It responded to the increased pressure with a higher charge, and he saw her wince. Then the faintest echo of her pain reached him through the link that had never been as strong for him as it had for her, and he cried out.

"Cassie, stop!" He found himself in front of the forcefield, and he brought his fist down on it in despair. She could seriously hurt herself if she did not back down, and he couldn't bear to see that happen.

Letting his morph fade, he flinched as the shock of the field ran through him all at once. But it was nothing compared to the pain in his heart, and he ignored it, locking gazes with Cassie in a silent struggle for control.

Through the link, he could feel her discomfort escalating beyond anything she should have been able to tolerate--but it wasn't until he pressed harder against the field and felt the pain shoot through his own body that she cried out. Drawing her hand back as though scalded, she gasped, "Stop…"

He yanked his hand away, tears forming in his eyes. That had *hurt*, and it was even harder to see her hurting because of it. It was almost impossible to hold himself still, to keep himself from reaching for the forcefield controls. All he wanted was to wrap her in his arms and drive away both her pain and his own, and he almost didn't care if she glared spitefully at him for it afterwards. Not as long as he could touch her now.

Luckily, she backed away from the forcefield before he could give in to his impulse. Giving him a last wrathful glance, she resumed her pacing, ignoring his presence as best she could.

He closed his eyes, making himself take a step back, and then another, until he felt the opposite wall at his back. Sliding down to the floor, he rested his head on his hands and listened to the sound of her sandals slapping angrily against the hard floor as she walked.