Last Chance
by Starhawk

He tried to ignore the noise, burying his head in the pillow and hoping it would go away. But the more he tried to go back to sleep, the louder the noise got, and finally he rolled over, squinting in the darkness.

"Who is it?" Zhane mumbled, not quite loud enough to be heard by whomever was on the other side of the door.

"Who *is* it?" he repeated, louder, and this time he heard Andros's voice answer.

"It's me, Zhane." Then the briefest mindtouch added, *I need your help.*

"Come in," Zhane said automatically, pushing himself up and running a hand through his hair. "DECA, lights," he said, standing as the door slid open.

The lights brightened as Andros stepped into the room, looking over his shoulder as he did so. Zhane frowned as the door closed behind him. "What's going on?"

Andros sighed. "I'm really sorry to wake you up for this--"

"Andros, it's all right," Zhane interrupted, stifling a yawn. His friend was obviously concerned about something, and Zhane tried to force his mind to clear. "What time is it, anyway?"

Andros looked a little guilty. "It's almost midnight on Earth. Evening, here, but you've only been asleep for an hour or so."

Zhane blinked, giving his head a shake. "Well, at least it's not morning already, with me feeling this tired. I still have a whole night. So what's up?"

Andros looked, if anything, guiltier. "Actually, that's what I wanted to ask you."

Confused, Zhane wondered if he was really awake yet. "What do you mean? How would I know what's going on?"

A small smile crossed Andros's face. "No--I was going to ask if you'd mind staying up for a while."

Zhane scrubbed at his face, wishing his brain would realize he was trying to carry on a coherent conversation here. "Oh," he said, rather blankly. "Sure. Why?"

Andros sighed. "Ashley's not doing so well," he admitted. "She's pretty upset about Cassie--we all are--but she won't talk about it. Carlos and TJ have been keeping her company, but they really need to get some sleep if they're going to go to school tomorrow."

"What about Ashley?" Zhane asked, then could have kicked himself. If she was that bad, she wouldn't be going to school.

"I don't think she's going to make it to school," Andros said quietly, confirming his assumption. "I'm not even sure she's going to sleep. If she does, great, but if not, I don't really want her to be alone."

Something stirred in Zhane's mind, some thought half-buried by sleep--something he was supposed to remember about Cassie. But he couldn't for the life of him think what it could be, and it was overwhelmed by sudden curiosity as he realized what Andros was saying. "What about you?" he demanded. "Where are you going?"

"The Kalenay system," Andros answered. "Zordon says they're the only major world that isn't represented in the Inner Alliance yet, and they have this superstition about video transmissions. The invitation has to be delivered in person."

Zhane rolled his eyes. "How can people build technology they're afraid to use…"

Andros sighed again. "They're not afraid of it. They just believe that all treaties have to be confirmed in the physical presence of a representative from both sides. Too easy to fake video links, they say."

Zhane's mind finally caught up to him, and he gave Andros an odd look. "Why you?"

His friend shrugged. "Cetaci's needed here and Saryn's--not really available, so I volunteered. The Alliance isn't official until everyone's been offered a place in it, and Zordon can't order them into anything until it *is* official. The Kalenay are the last ones."

At least, he had *thought* his mind had caught up. He tried to remember anything that would give him a clue as to why this was suddenly so important, but he couldn't do it, and he finally gave up. "Why the sudden rush?"

He got one of the patented "Andros looks" for that question. "Because Aquitar needs the Alliance's protection. The Dark Fortress isn't going to be the last threat--it's probably just the beginning. But Zordon can't ask the Alliance to defend one world over another unless *all* the League worlds have a place in it."

Zhane tried to make that make sense, but finally he wrote it off as "politics" and ignored it. "So how long is this going to take?"

"A few hours," Andros admitted. "I'm going to take the Delta Megaship. I should be back before Earth morning, but…"

"You're worried about Ashley," Zhane finished for him. "Yeah, I'll stay up with her. It's no problem."

"Thanks, Zhane," Andros said, looking distinctly relieved. "I really appreciate it."

"No problem," Zhane repeated, offering his arm. Andros mimicked the gesture and clasped his hand.

That was when he remembered. "Andros," he said quickly, just as his friend was turning away. "I was thinking about Cassie, earlier."

It might have been his imagination, but he thought his friend stiffened. Andros was probably blaming himself for what had happened to their teammate…

"Yeah?" Andros looked back at him.

"The healer said that a sorcerer who knew anything about evil wouldn't help Cassie," Zhane said, watching the other carefully. He hadn't had much time to think this out before he'd fallen asleep, but it seemed too important to keep to himself. "What about Astrea?"

"Astronema?" Andros seemed surprised by the suggestion--but not quite surprised enough.

"You thought of that, too," Zhane said. It wasn't a question.

Andros nodded once, looking troubled. "Sort of. I mean, I thought of it, but I didn't want to say anything." He gave Zhane an uncertain look. "Do you--do you really think she'd help us?"

"You said yourself that she knows what's right," Zhane offered, not really sure himself but not willing to dismiss the idea.

"*Kerone* knows what's right," Andros said, fingers twitching toward his locket. "I'm not so sure about Astronema. She's the one who did this to Cassie in the first place."

"You don't know that," Zhane insisted. "It could have been anyone with magical ability that designed those lasers. And she didn't know it was Cassie… I know it's not a good thought, Andros, but it is easier to shoot at faceless people."

"She's seen *all* our faces," Andros muttered. "It's never stopped her from firing before."

"But it didn't stop us, either," Zhane pointed out quietly. "We knew she was on the Dark Fortress. We know--we think--it's Kerone over there, and we fight anyway. Because we have to. But if it were *her* needing *our* help, you know we'd help her."

Andros looked down, then lifted his gaze to some undefined point just beyond Zhane. "I want to believe that she'd do that for us," he murmured. "I really do. But then I keep wondering if I'm letting my own feelings get in the way. She's my *sister*, Zhane, and I can't make myself comprehend all the evil she's done."

Zhane just watched his friend not look at him for a moment, not sure how to answer. Finally, he just agreed quietly. "I know," Zhane said, and Andros caught his eye again.

"Andros," he said, suddenly remembering Astrea's questions the night of the dance. "I think she wants to change. I really think she might help us if we asked--I think maybe all she needs is a *chance* to be good again.

"It's awfully hard to turn your back on everything you've lived with for years and years without knowing what else there is," he added. "But if she knew there were people here for her, who would help her build a new life for herself, then maybe…"

There was a knock on the door, and they both started. Glancing automatically at the door, he caught Andros's eye again and shrugged. "Come in," Zhane called.

The door slid open to reveal Ashley, her face flushed, and flanked on either side by Carlos and TJ. "You guys," she said, sounding a little breathless. "Cassie--what about Astronema?"

The room was absolutely silent. Zhane just stared at her, and he suspected Andros was doing the same thing. Behind her, Carlos and TJ glanced warily at each other, and then looked back at Zhane and Andros.

Andros spoke first. "Ash, are you okay?" he asked, crossing the room to stand next to her. Zhane suspected his friend just barely kept himself from reaching out to her, but even the question made Ashley glare at him.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" she demanded. "Of course I'm okay; I just want to know if Astronema can help Cassie, and no one will listen to me!"

This time Andros did reach out to her, and Zhane winced a little. But instead of exploding, Ashley leaned into his embrace and started to cry softly. "Andros," he heard her whisper almost inaudibly, "Why is this happening…"

"Shh…" Andros closed his eyes, hugging her tighter. "It's going to be okay, Ash; I promise."

Zhane shifted uncomfortably, and Andros opened his eyes to glance in his direction. "Zhane thinks Astronema might be able to help, too," he murmured after a moment, and Ashley looked up, rubbing her eyes and blinking at him.

"Really?" she whispered. She looked over at Zhane too, and Zhane tried to smile.

"Yeah, really," he said. "I talked to her, remember, on Earth. I didn't know she was Astronema then, but I still think she might help us."

"Wait," TJ interrupted from the hallway. "So Astronema really was in Angel Grove?"

"I told you," Ashley murmured, sniffing a little as she took a deep breath. "Zhane talked to her."

Andros patted her back comfortingly as she drew back, taking a step away from him to glare at TJ and Carlos defiantly. He kept an arm around her waist, and she moved a little to lean against his side. "They didn't believe me," she said, sounding a little more like her old self as her voice took on a slightly indignant tone.

"Can you blame us?" Carlos asked wryly. "Astronema, wandering around the streets of Angel Grove disguised as an ordinary human?"

"Yeah," TJ agreed. "Sorry, Ash--but you have to admit that sounds a little wild."

"It's true," Zhane said, stepping forward to join the conversation. "I met her that first night we were back on Earth. She said her name was Astrea, and I've been seeing her around Angel Grove ever since. I didn't know she was Astronema until last night."

Carlos and TJ exchanged glances again. "And you didn't think this was important enough to *tell* us?" TJ demanded.

"We didn't really have time," Andros murmured. "I mean, everyone went their own ways after the dance, and then…"

"You guys weren't exactly around much today," Carlos admitted. "But Zhane?" Carlos gave him a look. "Couldn't you have mentioned at some point that Astronema was on Earth?"

Zhane shrugged uncomfortably. "I didn't think of it."

"Anything else we should know, while we're at it?" TJ asked, looking a little amused. "Ashley said something about…"

He trailed off, and Andros looked up. "We think Astronema is Kerone."

Carlos threw up his hands. "That does it. Next time, there's going to be a phone tree. As soon as anyone finds out that a major villain is either Zhane's friend or Andros's sister, and especially if she happens to be *both*, I want to know about it."

TJ was grinning, but he nodded. "Me, too," he agreed. "Andros, you call Carlos, and Carlos, you let me know. Got it?"

Zhane frowned, catching Andros's eye. *What are they talking about?*

*I don't have the faintest idea,* Andros answered. "What's a phone tree?" he asked aloud, and Carlos snickered.

"Never mind," the Black Ranger said. "Just try to let us know when things happen around here, all right?"

"Ashley told you," Andros pointed out, glancing over at his girlfriend. She actually had a small smile on her face, and Zhane assumed that whatever humor he and Andros had missed had done her some good.

"Yeah, but…" TJ looked over at Carlos, then shrugged apologetically. "Sorry for doubting you, Ash."

Ashley shook her head, her smile fading. "It's okay," she said, and her voice trembled a little before she got it back under control. "I know I've been acting kind of weird."

Zhane couldn't blame her for that, and he knew Andros wouldn't either--Andros had been through this before. "It's all right," his friend whispered, squeezing her shoulders, and TJ nodded.

"Yeah, you're entitled, Ash. Man, we all have reason to act a little crazy right now, but…" He hesitated, glancing at Carlos. "I really haven't stopped to think about it. In my mind, Cassie's just hurt, you know? I still think of her as needing to get better, not…"

"Not gone," Carlos finished, and TJ nodded mutely.

Zhane knew he shouldn't get their hopes up, but he couldn't really believe that Astrea *wouldn't* help them. "She's not," he said, and Andros shot him a warning glance.

Zhane sighed. "Look, I know it's a long shot. But it's a chance, isn't it? If *anyone* could undo this, it would be her."

"Yeah, since she's the one who did it in the first place," Carlos muttered, sounding more bitter than Zhane had expected.

"You guys, she isn't all bad," Zhane insisted. "I know Astronema's done some terrible things, but that's not who she really is."

"Zhane, if you can't judge someone by their actions, how *can* you judge them?" TJ asked quietly. "I want to help Cassie more than anything, but I'm having trouble believing that Astronema has any good in her at all. Even if she *is* Andros's sister," he added, glancing at the Red Ranger.

Zhane had fully expected Andros to defend her, but his friend just tightened his grip on Ashley and said nothing.

"Judge them by who they want to be, then," Zhane said at last. "She wants to change. I'm sure of it. We just have to give her a chance."

"Look," Andros said, finally speaking up. "Zhane's talked to her. He knows better than any of us what she's really like. And if he thinks he can convince her to help us, I think we should let him try."

Zhane swallowed. *When did this become *my* job?* he wondered.

"I want my sister back, you guys," Andros said quietly. "And if there's any chance that we can get Cassie back, too, then I want to take it."

*Oh, this is not good,* Zhane thought, trying not to panic. The full implications of what he was proposing hadn't really hit him until now. But all of a sudden, both Kerone and Cassie had become his responsibility--and he didn't even know where to start. Astrea had always found *him*, not the other way around, and after last night, he wasn't sure he could even count on seeing her again.

But Carlos was nodding, and Ashley gave him a small smile. "You're right, Andros," TJ agreed at last. "I can't believe we're seriously thinking about asking Astronema for help… but we have to take any chance we can get."

"I think so too," Carlos said, adding his support, and Ashley nodded.

"We'll be back on Earth tomorrow anyway," Andros said. "I'll set the course as soon as I get back tonight."

Wondering what in the universe he'd gotten himself into, Zhane almost missed the flash of panic on Ashley's face. "Where are you going?" she asked anxiously, turning to look at Andros.

"Irini," he answered. "In the Kalenay system--only for a couple hours, Ash. I'll be back before you know it."

"But why?" she wanted to know, and Zhane hoped his friend could see the fear on her face. Ashley obviously didn't want to let any of the team out of her sight, least of all Andros, and after what had happened to Cassie, Zhane couldn't blame her.

"Just some protocol stuff," he said gently, running his hand through her hair and completely ignoring the surprise on TJ and Carlos's faces. He had clearly not broken the news to them yet, either.

"Once someone's gone to Irini, the Alliance that Zordon's running can come in and protect Aquitar," he added. "The Aquitian Rangers can't keep doing it alone, not if Dark Spectre sends more than just the Dark Fortress, and we can't stay here forever."

"Does it have to be you?" Ashley asked reluctantly, as though she already knew the answer.

"No," Andros admitted. "But I volunteered. Cetaci's needed here--"

"So are you," Ashley murmured.

He smiled, but it didn't stop him from continuing. "And Saryn's not exactly at his best right now. After hearing him yell at Cetaci today, I'm not sure I'd *want* him to go on a diplomatic mission. I'll be back when you wake up, I promise."

"I'm not sleeping," Ashley said, lifting her chin. "I'm staying up 'till you come back."

"Ash, he'll be okay," Carlos cut in. "You heard him--it's just a diplomatic mission. No shooting involved."

Zhane didn't miss the look Carlos shot in Andros's direction, and Andros nodded quickly. "That's right; it isn't dangerous. You don't have to worry."

"I don't care," Ashley said stubbornly. "I'm worrying anyway, so you'd better come back quick."

She sounded like nothing so much as a recalcitrant child, but Zhane could tell his friend found it endearing. He felt a flash of envy as Andros leaned in and kissed her, and he couldn't help wishing he had someone who cared that much about him.

As Andros drew back and Ashley smiled at him, TJ cleared his throat. "Uh, Andros? I can't help bringing up that phone tree thing again. Next time, maybe you could *tell* us these things in advance…"

"*What* is a phone tree?" Andros demanded again, clearly exasperated.

Carlos actually chuckled, and although Zhane didn't know either, he couldn't help smiling at his friend's annoyance. "It's a way for a group of people to get information without any one person having to do much work," the Black Ranger explained.

"You set it up ahead of time," TJ offered, when Andros didn't look any more enlightened. "So the first person to find out information calls a certain person, and then that person calls a certain other person, and so on."

"But we don't have to do that," Andros said, his expression turning to one of puzzlement. "Our morphers can contact everyone on the team at once."

TJ just threw up his hands and turned to Carlos. "I give up," he said, and Zhane heard Ashley giggle a little.

"I think that's the point, Andros," she said, a real smile on her face. "It would be really easy to tell everyone what's going on, but you don't…"

"*I* don't?" he exclaimed. "Zhane could have told them! And you were the one who dragged me off to the beach--"

From where he was standing, Zhane could see the look in Ashley's eyes before Andros did. His friend was too busy expressing his indignation to notice her lean closer, but he cut off abruptly as she placed her fingers over his lips.

"We're just kidding," Ashley whispered, letting her hand fall and pressing her lips to his.

Andros closed his eyes, and Zhane looked away as the two of them held onto each other, apparently oblivious to everyone else in the room. Carlos looked away from TJ and caught his gaze, rolling his eyes, and Zhane couldn't help smiling. Carlos's look said as clearly as words, *We should be used to these demonstrations by now…*

"I have to go," Andros murmured at last, pulling away from Ashley with obvious reluctance.

Ashley sighed. "I know. Be careful, okay?"

He nodded solemnly. "I'll see you soon," Andros promised.

Glancing around the room, he nodded to Carlos and TJ, then locked gazes with Zhane. Zhane smiled, and Andros returned the expression before squeezing Ashley's shoulder one last time and stepping back. "See you guys in the morning," he said, reaching for the Battlelizer that appeared on his wrist.

Ashley lifted her hand in a half-wave as he teleported out. The room was illuminated by a flash of brilliant crimson as the glowing sparkles streaked away, and then he was gone.

Zhane turned to Ashley, realizing that if Andros hadn't even told TJ and Carlos he was leaving, he probably hadn't mentioned that he was planning to hand over custody of Ashley to Zhane. "Ash, I'm going to head up to the Bridge and run some scanner sweeps. Want to keep me company?"

He saw the other two Rangers give him a startled look, but Ashley just nodded, still staring at the spot where Andros had vanished. "Sure," she said distantly.

Zhane glanced at TJ and Carlos. Carlos looked worried, but Zhane waved at them in a "don't worry" gesture. Putting a tentative hand on Ashley's shoulder, he was relieved when she let him steer her toward the door.

TJ and Carlos looked at each other again, and he thought he saw TJ shrug. "If you two don't need any help, I think I'll go try and get some sleep," TJ said, following them out of Zhane's room.

"No, we can manage," Zhane said, hoping Ashley wasn't going to slide back into depression with Andros gone. "You guys get some rest."

"Right," Carlos said, clapping him on the shoulder. When Zhane glanced at him, Carlos mouthed, "Thanks," and Zhane nodded. "We'll see you in the morning, then."

"Pleasant dreams," TJ added, and he and Carlos headed for their respective rooms.

Zhane tried to stifle a yawn. *"Pleasant dreams"?* he thought wryly. *Very funny, TJ.* The Blue Ranger had to know neither of them would be sleeping for at least another few hours.

Ashley continued to let him lead her until they stepped into the lift. Then she looked up as the doors slid shut and caught his eye. "I know what you're doing," she said calmly.

Zhane punched in the lift's destination and gave her his most innocent look. "What do you mean?"

"Andros probably asked you to keep an eye on me," she said. "The same way he made Carlos and TJ stay with me while he went down to Aquitar a little while ago."

"Of course not," Zhane lied. "He woke me up to say he was going, and I figured if you were going to stay up anyway we might as well keep each other company."

"Right," Ashley said, no expression on her face. "You lie about as well as they do."

Zhane sighed, letting the act drop. "Look, he's just worried about you, Ashley. I think he blames himself for what happened to Cassie, and he's probably going crazy thinking it could have been you."

"It's not that I don't appreciate it," Ashley whispered, and he was startled to see tears in her eyes. "It's just--I feel so guilty having everyone fuss over me like this."

"We're your friends, Ashley," he said, amused. "We're supposed to act like this."

The lift doors opened onto the Bridge, and he was relieved to see Ashley smile a little through her tears. "I know," she said quietly. "And you guys are great. It's just… it's not like I'm the only one who's upset. Everyone's hurting, and I guess I feel selfish, having you all looking out for me like this."

Zhane thought about that as he walked out onto the Bridge. "You know," he said suddenly, "I think it makes us feel better to take care of someone. I mean, I can't speak for Carlos or TJ, but--it's kind of easier to worry about you than it is to feel sorry for myself. I guess maybe we're using you, in a way, to forget about our own problems… does that sound really bad?"

Ashley sniffed, but when he looked back at her she was still smiling. "Yes," she said. "But it makes me feel a little better. I think."

Zhane grinned at her. "Good. Now get out here and give me a hand."

"You're actually going to run some scans?" Ashley said, looking surprised. "I thought that was just a way to let TJ and Carlos off the hook."

"Well, that too," he admitted unrepentantly. "But I thought I'd check up on Astronema, and maybe--" He gave her a quick look, not sure he should admit to this one. "Track the Delta Megaship," he muttered in a rush.

Ashley tilted her head, stepping out of the lift and looking at him curiously. "Track the Delta Megaship?"

He was trying to figure out what to say when he saw the corner of her mouth quirk. "You must have read my mind," Ashley said, and he grinned in relief.

"I bet you've done this before," he said, going over to the scanner console.

"Oh, and you haven't," she retorted, following him.

"Well, not exactly," he said, and she gave him a knowing look. He tried to keep a straight face. "After all, we didn't have the Delta Megaship two years ago."

He flinched away, his grin showing through again as she aimed a half-hearted slap at his shoulder. "You know what I mean," Ashley said, setting the scanners to run briefly across the Dark Fortress and then follow the Delta Megaship until it was out of range.

"Yeah," he admitted. "It was worst before I got my powers. His team had given theirs up, and I had to watch him go off alone all the time."

"How *did* you get your powers?" she asked suddenly, glancing sideways at him. "If you don't mind me asking…"

He blinked. "I figured Andros told you."

She shook her head. "He never volunteered, and I never asked."

Zhane shook his head wryly. "If that's what you two are usually like with each other, I'm amazed you ever got together."

Instead of trying to hit him again, Ashley got a far-off look in her eyes. "If it had been up to him, we might not have," she admitted. "I sort of forced the issue."

Zhane raised an eyebrow. That sounded like a story he wanted to hear. "If I tell you how I got my powers, will you tell me how you and Andros started going out?"

She looked at him, startled, until she saw what he suspected was a rather devilish look on his face. Folding her arms across her chest, she smirked at him. "All right. But you have to go first."

Relieved that she was showing interest in something at last, he nodded in agreement. "Deal."

Spinning a chair around, he flopped down in it and put his feet up on the console. Ashley gave him a wry look, but said nothing. Pulling up her own chair, she sat down carefully and waited for him to speak.

"Well," Zhane began, then stopped. "Now that I've said I'll tell you, I've just realized that most of it won't make any sense." He looked at her more closely. "You're sure Andros didn't tell you anything?"

She shook her head wordlessly.

"Well," Zhane tried again, "Andros was the only Kerovan Ranger for a few weeks. We were… eleven, I think, when KO-35 was evacuated that first time, and his team had never been trained for the kind of attack that Dark Spectre threw at us. His team was kept out of the fighting, and his teammates gave up their powers when we settled on Rayven."

He paused. "You know this much, right?"

"Sort of," Ashley said. "He's told me about KO-35, and Rayven, and even some about you--but nothing about your powers."

Zhane shrugged. "Maybe because he doesn't understand them. No one really does, I guess. I said I wanted to fight with him--actually, I think my exact words were, 'If you don't let me come with you, I'm stowing away.'"

Ashley giggled a little at that, and he smiled sheepishly. "As you can imagine, no one was very impressed. Except Andros. And he was the one who had the morphers…"

Ashley's eyes widened. "He said you were offered an astromorpher--he didn't say it was his idea."

Zhane felt his smile widen at the memory. "Yeah, well, no one was very impressed with him either, when they found that out. There was actually some talk of disbanding the Kerovan Rangers altogether--all one of them--because of "lack of necessity'', they said, but the real reason was that the colony's leaders thought we were too young to know what we were doing."

Ashley tilted her head. "Before we came into space, the Turbo team had a Ranger almost that young--and he was the most experienced one of all of us."

It took him a moment to place "Turbo team", but finally he got it. Andros had said the old Earth Rangers were called "Turbo". "I don't doubt it," he said, "but--they were probably right about us. We *didn't* know what we were doing. But we were friends, and we weren't going to let some Power difference come between us."

"But you didn't take the astromorpher," Ashley said, when he paused.

Zhane shook his head. "I couldn't. I didn't earn it, and I didn't feel right taking a morpher that had been meant for someone else."

He saw Ashley glance involuntarily at her wrist. "Oh, you're different," he said quickly. "You earned the right to be a Ranger--I just made a nuisance of myself until my best friend gave in.

"So I went on my own--quest, I guess you could call it," he continued quickly, before she could say respond to that. "That's the part I can't really explain. I had heard about this Power…"

He remembered vividly the message that had come at exactly the right time, and then Andros's offer… "Andros took the Megaship and we went together--but in the end, I had to go seeking alone."

He sighed, realizing how unhelpful his explanation was. "Sorry," Zhane apologized. "I know it doesn't make any sense--"

"No, Ashley interrupted. "Actually, I've been hearing some wild stories about Power quests lately…"

She shook her head at his confused expression. "Just talking to some of the old Rangers. Sorry; go on."

Zhane shrugged again. "That's pretty much all I can tell you. Andros never said anything about my uniform, but I didn't choose it consciously--it just appeared that way."

"With the black bars instead of the colored ones?" Ashley asked, and he nodded. "I guess it makes sense, if there wasn't really a team then…"

"There was me and Andros," Zhane said quietly. "That was all we needed."

Then he added quickly, "But I really like you guys. I didn't mean that to sound so…"

"Exclusive?" Ashley suggested, smiling a little. "That's okay; I knew what you meant."

"So what about you and Andros?" he asked, hoping to change the subject. "You were going to tell me how you got him to come to his senses."

She looked down for a minute, but he couldn't believe she was embarrassed. "Oh, come on," he teased. "A smart, pretty girl like you, interested in *him*, and he didn't ask you out the second you met? What was he thinking?"

Ashley looked up again, a grin creeping across her face. "Well, we didn't exactly get along right away."

He stared at her. "You've got to be kidding me. I can't picture you and Andros fighting!"

"That's not quite what I mean," she said, and Zhane could have sworn she blushed a little. "I sort of… had a crush on him. Instantly. Like, the second I saw him."

Zhane grinned, and she sighed. "Stop it! It was really embarrassing…"

He had to laugh at her expression, and she sighed again. But Ashley was smiling, and he couldn't resist the opportunity to tease her some more. "Andros always had girl appeal. But they usually gave up when he completely ignored them…"

Ashley looked a little sheepish. "He tried. But I was a little too determined for that. And every time I *was* about to give up, he'd say something, or do something, that made me think maybe I had a chance after all."

"Like?" Zhane wanted to know, curious as to how his friend's heart had been stolen so quickly.

"Well…" Ashley squirmed. "I don't know. Just the way he'd look at me, sometimes, and how he always sat next to me when we had lunch on Earth." She shrugged ruefully. "Little things that didn't have to mean anything, but I kept hoping."

"And you "forced the issue"?" Zhane asked, amused.

The distant look was back in her eyes, for just a moment. "I kind of kissed him," she admitted.

Zhane blinked. "Just like that?"

"Pretty much… He'd stalked out on us again, and that time I went after him. I found him in his room, and he didn't look upset at all, just… lonely. We talked for a couple minutes, and--I kissed him."

"Man, I bet that was a shock," Zhane said, grinning. He was dying to ask what Andros had done, but he figured he was already pushing the limits of courtesy.

"Yeah," Ashley agreed, a dreamy look on her face. "I left, and when he confronted me about it later, I apologized, and then… he kissed *me*."

Zhane felt his grin fading as he looked at her. He couldn't doubt that she loved his friend, and he remembered Andros voicing his own feelings for her on Rayven. "You guys are really lucky," he observed quietly.

Her focus gradually returned to him, and she smiled. "I know," Ashley agreed.

The scanners blipped, and Zhane glanced over at them. "The Delta Megaship is out of range," he commented idly. "He must be almost there."

They sat in companionable silence for a few moments, and Zhane was about to suggest another topic of conversation when Ashley stiffened. "Andros?" she whispered, and he could see her gaze unfocus once more.

Zhane swung his feet off the console and sat up. "What's going on?" he demanded, alerted by her sudden change in demeanor.

"Andros is in trouble," she whispered. "Darkonda… attacked the Delta Megaship…"

He could see her trying to divide her attention between him and Andros and failing miserably. He tried to keep himself from reaching out to Andros, knowing another distraction was probably the last thing his friend needed--but the need to know overcame logic, and he called urgently, *Andros?*

*Zhane.* Andros's voice sounded farther away than it ever had. *I'm sorry--take care of Ashley.* There was a sharp sensation, almost painful, and his mind was ominously silent.

"Andros!" Ashley cried, leaping to her feet. "No! You can't…" She choked over the words, and Zhane slammed his hand down on the console, a sense of terrible dread filling him.

"DECA, take us out of Aquitian orbit," he snapped, adjusting the scanners to feed directly into the nav computer. "Follow the Delta Megaship, hyperrush nine."

"Hyperrush nine," DECA repeated, and Aquitar receded into darkness behind them as the viewscreen filled with simulated starlines.

"Andros, don't do this to us," Zhane muttered, cold fear gripping his heart. *Don't do this to her,* he thought, glancing over at Ashley's frozen figure, staring blindly ahead of her at something he couldn't see.

*Don't do this to *me*,* he added silently, selfishly. *I don't want to know what you went through those two years I was in hypersleep…*

"DECA, any sign of the Delta Megaship?" Zhane asked impatiently. Andros had passed out of range only moments before his telepathic call reached Ashley--the scanners should already be able to detect the other ship.

"The Delta Megaship is not registering on the scanners," DECA said, her voice somewhat subdued.

"Andros," Ashley whispered brokenly, a tear slipping down her cheek.

***

He had always been lucky. He'd never thought about it that way before, but there it was. His sister had been kidnapped from a park one day long ago, but she had not been killed. She was alive, and he had somehow found her again, against all odds.

His home planet had been attacked, but so many of its inhabitants had survived to be transplanted to a safer place. They had thrived there, and the team he had lost in the process had been replaced by the best friend he had ever had, and the only teammate he had needed for four years.

Those four years had come to an abrupt end when his homeworld was attacked again and his only teammate had been killed. Or almost killed--somehow, he had survived in hypersleep and recovered from his near-fatal injuries to join his best friend again.

And in the meantime, he had found four other people to share his ship and his life. They had made him smile for the first time in a long while, and she had filled the lonely ache in his heart. She had overcome the walls he'd built around himself, and taught him how to love again.

For everything that had gone wrong in his life, something more than right enough to make up for it had come along. He was luckier than he had ever realized… until that luck had run out.

As one of Darkonda's fighters made what was clearly going to be a kamikaze run straight for the Delta Megaship's engine core, Andros reached out instinctively. *Ashley…*

She knew something was wrong even before he told her what had happened. He managed to jettison the ship's automatic log before the core exploded, and he felt Zhane call out to him. *Zhane--*

There was no more time, and he wished he could wrap these two people he loved most in the world up in his arms. *I'm sorry. Take care of Ashley for me.*

He knew, as the ship burst into flame around him, that this time there was no more luck to pull him through. Even the Power could not protect him from this.